A Dentist in Springfield, IL Can Help Patients Overcome Dental Phobia

Going to a dentist in Springfield, IL can be a terrifying thought for some. For others, it can even come to a point where they’d rather not go to the dentist at all. When they are on the dentist’s chair, they are extremely anxious and cannot relax even just for a second. Some people suffer from what is called dentophobia or odontophobia, which is the fear of dentists and is quite common among all ages. On the other hand, some are just afraid of needles, the drill, or fear that they will gag or choke during a procedure.

In fact, some studies conducted abroad, specifically in Singapore and U.K., revealed that a dentist’s attire could even influence the comfort level of patients, especially children. For one, it was noted that children and parents in Singapore preferred dentists who wear personal protective equipment. Moreover, majority of surveyed children from Singapore and U.K felt more at ease with informally dressed dentists.

One solution to dental phobia is sedation dentistry. This involves making use of sedatives to establish a relaxed and calm state. It is done through sedative drugs such as depressants and anti-anxiety medications, which could be administered in a number of ways. IV sedation used to be the most commonly used way of helping patients manage their phobia, but these days, oral sedation has become the common method because it is easy to do and there are no needles involved.

One of the main benefits of sedation dentistry is that patients often feel like their treatment or procedure only lasted less than the actual duration, and hours seem like only minutes to them. This is advantageous because some treatments that would usually require extended periods of time and even multiple visits can be done in fewer visits. Of course, sedation dentistry also benefits those who have fears of going to the dentist in the first place. Putting them in a sleep-like state would calm them down and ease their anxiety.

Those who are experiencing dentophobia shouldn’t worry anymore, because there is sedation dentistry in Springfield, IL at established practices such as the Advanced Dental Care of Springfield, so there’s no need to delay the dental treatment they need and finally bring them closer to a healthy mouth and a beautiful smile.

For more information about sedation dentistry and how Dr. VanderMolen and Advanced Dental Care of Springfield can help you overcome dental phobia, contact us at (217) 717-4551 or info@smilespringfield.com

(Source: How to help your patients overcome dental phobia, Dentistry IQ, July 28, 2014)