Dental Fear Very few people like to go to the dentist. I include myself in this group. There are really only two types of patients, those that are apprehensive and admit it and those that are apprehensive and will not admit it. This is a universal problem for patients.

What can we do to prevent this problem? We encourage you to bring your children with you to your appointments a few times before they need any dental care. This allows them to get acquainted with a dental office before it is any threat for them. Be sure you are doing everything you can to prevent them from getting decay. Use a fluoride toothpaste, fluoride mouth rinse, be sure they are brushing and flossing at least twice a day. They will need help flossing until they are 8 - 10 years old. Get them off the bottle by the time they are 1 year old. At about 4 years of age start getting their teeth cleaned, checked and fluoridated every 6 months. If you do all this they will have fewer problems and we will find the problems while they are smaller and easier to correct.

How can we help you? We also have found that the more you know about what we are doing and why it is necessary the more relaxed you will be while in the office. Fear of the unknown is greater than fear of the known. If you ever have questions please ask.

What can we do for those who are already fearful? The easiest and safest solution is the use of Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas). This will relax most patients and is very safe. You breath the mix through a small nose mask. Within a few minutes you are quite relaxed, but awake and in control. Once we remove the mask you are back to normal in five to ten minutes and are able to leave the office.

What if I just do not like needles? We are using H-wave anesthesia with Nitrous Oxide and finding that over 90% of our patients do not need a shot and are pain free while we do their dentistry.

What if you are still not relaxed? We can prescribe other oral sedatives that you take in pill for before your appointment. This does require that you come to your appointment about an hour early and have an adult take you home after your appointment. You cannot drive for the rest of the day or operate any tools or equipment that could cause injury. It is also important that you not use any alcoholic beverages for 24 hours.

What if you want to be completely asleep? First with the techniques above most people do very well. If you feel you have to be completely asleep, we can have a dental anesthesiologist come to the office. Back to newsletter index