Sedation dentistry is one of the latest and greatest things to happen in dental offices around the country. While some of us have been using sedation for decades, there is a new surge for doctors to offer sedation options that will benefit EVERY patient.
Each patient who decides to use sedation has a different reason for that decision. Some of those reasons might surprise you! We usually think that only fearful patients will go for the sedation option, but sedation dentistry can help patients who aren’t afraid at all!
Let’s take a look at four examples of patients who could benefit from sedation dentistry!
The “Sensitive Gag Reflex” Patient
You know that feeling when you put something too far back in your mouth? Your body literally tries to expel the object in what is known as the gag reflex. For most of us, the gag reflex will only act if something is really, too far back in our mouth.
There are some patients, however, who have a sensitive gag reflex. That means that they experience lots of gagging during a routine cleaning, which makes the patient and our staff pretty miserable! There is a way to help! Sedation will calm the muscles in your entire body making your gag reflex calm and at ease during any dental procedure.
The “Can’t Be Away from Work” Patient
We all have different work schedules. Depending on your leave allotment and your ability to turn your duties over to a co-worker, you may not be able to be away from work for three or four dental appointments.
With the benefit of sedation, you are able to trade several appointments for one. You don’t have to break your work into shorter sessions because sedation will allow you to get the work you need in one appointment that you can rest through! There’s no reason to miss more work than you can handle!
The “Genuinely Cannot Understand” Patient
It’s not fun to think about, but there are some patients who really cannot understand what is going on at a dental appointment. Whether they are living with dementia, a mental disability, severe autism, or another condition, the dental office can be very frightening, but we can help!
These patients get overlooked A LOT because they are difficult to care for at the office, so caretakers choose to just stay home. With sedation, we can make the entire experience easier on the patient and the caretaker! Imagine your loved one having a completely relaxed dental appointment!
The “Terrified Beyond Reason” Patient
Finally, let’s talk about fear. Not a normal queasy stomach fear, but fear that goes beyond reason. For patients who experienced terrible dental care as a child, the dental office can be the LAST place they want to be.
These patients are so terrified that they cannot even THINK about going to the office without feeling extreme fear. Dental phobia is a real thing. Even with this phobia, patients need dental care! Sedation allows us to help that patient relax before they ever walk into the office. Once here, we can make sure that this extremely fearful patient has a comfortable appointment.
There are so many ways that sedation helps patients get the care they need without any of the stress, fear, and anxiety associated with a procedure. We understand where you are coming from, and we are here to help!
Contact us today to learn more about sedation options for you. You might be surprised at how easy it is to get the care you need with a little bit of assisted relaxation! We hope to see you soon!
