Scared of the Dentist | Sedation Dentist Near Me

Scared of the Dentist | Sedation Dentist Near Me 

Do you struggle with dental anxiety? If you, you are not alone: 

"Between 5% and 8% of Americans avoid dentists out of fear, estimates Peter Milgrom, DDS, director of the Dental Fears Research Clinic at the University of Washington in Seattle and author of Treating Fearful Dental Patients. A higher percentage, perhaps 20%, experiences enough anxiety that they will go to the dentist only when absolutely necessary, Milgrom tells WebMD.

Milgrom's dental practice specializes in fearful patients. About two-thirds of them relate their fear to a bad experience in the dentist's office, Milgrom says. Another third have other issues for which fear of dentists can be an unpleasant side effect, such as various mood or anxiety disorders, substance abuse, or posttraumatic stress.

Fear of dentists stems not so much from the experience of pain as from the lack of control that patients experience in the dentist's chair, says Ellen Rodino, PhD, a psychologist in Santa Monica, Calif., who has studied dental fear. "You're lying prone, a dentist is hovering above you, and he's putting you in a situation where you can hardly talk or respond. That creates a lot of anxiety for some people because they don't feel in control."  

To help future patients relax, we wanted to give you a clip of what the new patient experience looks like at LADD Dental Group: 

Overcoming your dental anxiety:   

"Some dentists who specialize in treating fearful patients go out of their way to create a nonthreatening environment. The place where Jack Bynes, DMD, works in Coventry, Conn., is barely recognizable as a dentist's office. It's housed in a renovated historic gristmill, with a treatment room that overlooks a waterfall. The waiting room contains a fireplace and soothing photography; it's free of posters depicting the horrors of gum disease. Bynes himself fancies bow ties rather than scrubs. Many "people have a fight-or-flight reaction" to the sights, sounds, and smells of a dental office, and taking away these cues has a calming effect, Bynes explains. And Bynes should know. He specializes in fearful patients today because he himself had to overcome his own medical phobias as he trained to become a dentist. 

Chances are, visiting a dentist won't be nearly as painful as you expect. Surveys of patients before and after the most dreaded procedures -- such as a root canal or wisdom tooth extraction -- have found that they anticipated much more discomfort than they actually experienced, Milgrom says.

The root canal in particular gets a "bad rap" because it is typically preceded by painful toothaches, Milgrom says. The procedure itself relieves this pain, often in just a single visit. Wisdom tooth extractions get a bad name because of occasional jaw pain experienced several days afterwards, which can be treated with pills. 

Still, even if your mind tells you you'll be just fine, your body may still fear that dentist's chair. Here are a few tips that may help you overcome your fear of the dentist:

• Go to that first visit with someone you trust, such as a close relative who has no fear of dentists, Bynes suggests. Bynes even encourages friends and relatives to sit with the patient during treatment.
• Seek distraction while in the dentist's chair. Listen to your own music on headphones --"a new CD, not one you've heard a lot, so you'll be a little more interested in it," Milgrom suggests. Or find a dentist with a TV or other distractions available in the treatment room.
• Try relaxation techniques. Milgrom suggests controlled breathing -- taking a big breath, holding it, and letting it out very slowly, like you are a leaky tire. This will slow your heartbeat and relax your muscles. Another technique is progressive muscle relaxation, which involves tensing and relaxing different muscle groups in turn.
• Review with your dentist which sedatives are available or appropriate. Options include local anesthetic, nitrous oxide ("laughing gas"), oral sedatives, and intravenous sedation. While oversedation can be dangerous, too many dentists are uncomfortable using any oral sedation, Milgrom says. And only some dentists are qualified to perform IV sedation. 

All of this info and more can be found at https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/features/dont-fear-the-dentist#3" 

Here at LADD Dental Group, we have over 40 years of experience treating patients with dental anxieties. We pride ourselves on making all of our patients feel comfortable and relaxed, and we offer multiple forms of sedation dentistry to help our patients as well! If you are putting off your dental care due to fear, give LADD Dental Group a call today and experience the difference!