MANAGEMENT OF DENTAL ANXIETY /
SEDATION DENTISTRY
What is Dental sedation
Dental sedation refers to the use of medications to help patients feel calm, relaxed, and comfortable during dental procedures. It is especially helpful for people who feel anxious or fearful about visiting the dentist, or for those undergoing longer or more complex treatments. There are several types of dental sedation, each suited to different needs and levels of anxiety.
Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas) Sedation is one of the mildest and most commonly used forms of dental sedation. It involves breathing in a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen through a small mask placed over the nose. The effects begin within seconds to minutes, helping patients feel relaxed, calm, and sometimes a little giggly—hence the nickname “laughing gas.” Patients remain awake and can respond to instructions, and the effects wear off quickly once the gas is stopped, allowing most people to drive themselves home afterward.
Nitrous oxide is considered very safe, with few side effects (such as mild nausea or dizziness), and is a good option for patients with mild to moderate dental anxiety or for children who are nervous about dental visits.
Oral Anxiolytics are anti-anxiety medications taken by mouth, usually about an hour before the dental appointment. The most common medications used are benzodiazepines, such as diazepam (Valium), midazolam, or triazolam.
These medications help reduce anxiety and promote relaxation, and some may also cause mild drowsiness or memory loss of the procedure.
Oral sedation is a good choice for patients with moderate dental anxiety who want a simple, non-invasive way to feel more comfortable. Because these medications can make you drowsy, you will need someone to drive you to and from your appointment.
Intravenous (IV) Sedation involves giving sedative medications directly into a vein, usually in the arm or hand. This allows the dentist or sedation specialist to adjust the level of sedation quickly and precisely during the procedure.
General Anesthesia is the deepest form of sedation, in which patients are completely unconscious and unaware during the procedure. It is typically administered by an anesthesiologist or specially trained dental anesthetist in a hospital or surgical center setting.
General anesthesia is reserved for patients who cannot tolerate dental treatment while awake, such as young children, individuals with severe dental phobia, or those with developmental disabilities or complex medical conditions.
It is also used for very extensive or invasive dental surgeries. While general anesthesia allows for comprehensive treatment in a single visit, it carries more risks than lighter forms of sedation and requires careful monitoring and recovery time.
Topics
Frequently
Asked
Questions
Got questions? We’ve got answers! Check out our FAQ section for common inquiries and helpful information to guide you.
How do I get over my dental phobia?
If you have dental anxiety that is severe enough to be classified as a phobia, it is very difficult to overcome this without professional help.
At Elite Dental Group, we believe that identifying the underlying triggers is the best way to manage dental phobia.
Some patients may be able to overcome their phobia enough to receive routine dental treatment, while others may require medication to allow them to cope with their anxiety surrounding dentistry. Dental phobia may coexist with other anxiety or mood disorders that require professional management.
Dentally-anxious or phobic patients often require longer treatment sessions for treatment to be completed. Complex dentistry may require IV sedation or General Anaesthesia (GA) to be used in conjunction to allow high quality dentistry to be performed even in very anxious patients.
How common is dental phobia?
Dental phobia affects about 10% of the population. Dental anxiety affects about 20% of the population. Women tend to report more dental anxiety than men.
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Why do people fear the dentist?
There are many reasons that may trigger the development of dental fear.
Dental anxiety is usually triggered by past negative dental experiences (usually in childhood).
Occasionally, incidents portrayed by family, friends or the media can trigger dental anxiety in a person with no previous history of traumatic dental experience. This is known as vicarious learning.
main reason is the fear of pain, fear of the unknown, fear of cost(main is the fear of not knowing the treatment cost and hesitating due to financial constraint / at the mercy of the dentist) (include how elite dental approaches managing dental anxiety)
Can the dentist give you something for anxiety?
Sedatives are useful for helping you manage anxiety while having dental treatment.
We offer 4 different methods of sedation:
- Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) sedation is very safe and can be used even in children. It produces no hangover and most patients can return to their normal activities immediately.
- Oral anxiolytics using sedative tablets (such as lorazepam). These may also be prescribed for patients who have insomnia the night before their dental appointment.
- Intravenous sedation performed by a qualified specialist anaesthesiologist who will induce sedation, monitor and maintain your sedated state and wake you up when the procedure is completed.
IV sedation causes short term memory loss, so patients will not remember anything about the procedure.
A chaperone is required after IV sedation as the drug effects last for about 12 hours. - General Anaesthesia in an operating theatre for patients who require extensive surgical procedures and for very anxious young children.
Is dental anesthesia painful?
Local anaesthesia in the mouth can be almost painless.
Before the anaesthetic is injected, numbing cream is applied on to the target areas to numb the surface of the mucosa. This numbing cream must be left on dry mucosa for 2 minutes to take effect. This almost completely eliminates the sensation of the needle prick.
However the numbing cream only affects the surface layer of the mucosa up to 1-2mm deep, so a slow and steady injection technique is crucial. Injecting slowly gives the tissues time to stretch as the anaesthetic liquid is introduced and also gives time for the acidic anaesthetic solution to neutralize before it can start working.
Generally, injections in the outer part of the upper back teeth (facing the cheek) are the most comfortable.
Can poor oral health cause anxiety?
If you are having pain from badly decayed teeth which are dark, discoloured and chipped, then your overall sense of well-being can be affected.
This may affect your confidence if you are embarrassed to smile for fear of showing your teeth. If you are worried that the infected teeth may be causing bad breath (halitosis), you may be embarrassed that your bad breath may be perceived by the person you are talking to. You may avoid smiling especially when having photos taken because you are self-conscious about your teeth.
You may think your teeth are hopeless and that the dentist may not be able to help you with your teeth at all. Perhaps you have considered having all your teeth removed and replaced with dentures.
Bad teeth can affect your life psychologically, socially and professionally. At Elite Dental Group, our entire modern practice of dentistry is designed to improve your smile so that you can get on with living your best life and reach your full potential.
HOW CAN WE
HELP?
Heading to a dental clinic can be a scary and almost overwhelming experience. If you have landed on our website, we would like to extend our warmest welcome to you and your family. There is nothing to fear!
If you require more information about our costs or are looking for ways to save money on dental treatments, arrange for a consultation with our dentists at a time of your convenience.
Elite Dental Group