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Dental Anxiety

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Do You Experience Fear or Anxiety Before Going to the Dentist?

Does the thought of an upcoming dental visit fill you with anxiety? Have you ever delayed or avoided tooth cleaning or other routine oral care because of dental fear? If so, you are not alone, since apprehension about dental care is a fairly common phobia. Estimates put the number of people who have some degree of dental aversion at 28%, and as many as 48% sometimes delay routine visits because of worry at the prospect of discomfort.

Fortunately, we offer plenty of stress-reducing options to make your visits comfortable. Please feel free to bring your concerns to our attention – we are ready to discuss any special needs or worries you may have about your care.

Comfort Options

To help you have the most comfortable, pleasant dental visit you have ever experienced, we offer the following to put you at ease:

  1. Caring and understanding staff. There’s no scolding or embarrassment here! You’re our valued client, and we promise to stop, listen to your concerns, and discuss them with you.
  2. Stereo headphones to reduce noise and distraction. We have a great choice of iPod music, and you are also welcome to bring your own favorites music.
  3. Digital x-ray sensors (inside the mouth) and digital panoramic x-rays are very comfortable, reducing or eliminating gagging.
  4. Wand electronic anesthesia that uses a microprocessor controlled device to deliver the anesthetic.  No more “Civil War” era dental syringe!  Along with better topical anesthetics, “painless” can’ t be promised-but we are dramatically closer.
  5. Advances in anesthetic solutions make numbing more comfortable and much more effective than the old fashioned Novacaine!
  6. Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) helps many patients “feel they are somewhere else.”Advanced laser dentistry provides fast elimination of decay without needles for many patients!
  7. Ever have a painful dental cleaning?  We now offer needle-free anesthesia to numb the gums for comfortable dental cleaning and periodontal therapy!
  8. Oral sedation works wonders with many patients.  Often “just a little pill” and many people actually snore though the visit and remember almost nothing!  Sedation is appropriate for patients with pronounced dental fear, extreme gagging, embarrassment concerns, or desire to have their dental treatments done in the minimal number of visits.
  9. I.V. (intravenous) sedation uses an I.V. catheter to deliver the sedative medication so that the sedative can be titrated, or adjusted, to the needs of the individual patient.  Most patients experience amnesia of the visit.  Sedation can also dramatically raise the pain threshold for those “difficult to numb” patients. Very few dentists (less than 2%) are licensed for sedation in the State of Illinois due to stringent requirements.  Dentists who promise sedation without the option of full IV sedation may not be able to deliver the level of amnesia and comfort that we find many patients are seeking.  Many times we have a patient start with the oral pill sedation, and if they are not sufficiently comfortable switch to the IV sedation.

Too busy for dental care?  We find that with the highly customized and personal care we are able to provide, we can complete necessary dentistry in fewer more comfortable visits.

We find that with the customized care provide are able to give patients that many, especially our very busy patients, elect to have longer comfortable visits rather than repetitive short choppy visits experienced in other offices.

Our promise to You–We will never begin a procedure unless you feel completely comfortable!

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Need a Smile Makeover, full mouth reconstruction or cosmetic procedure like veneers or crowns? Set up an appointment now without picking up the phone.

}Hours

Monday: 11am – 8pm
Tuesday: 10am – 7pm
Wednesday: 8am – 4pm
Thursday: 7am – 3pm
Friday: Closed
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed

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