Dental Anxiety

     Dental Anxiety Q & A      

               How is dental anxiety different from nervousness?

It’s perfectly normal to feel a bit nervous before you go in to see the dentist, but many people struggle with a level of anxiety that goes beyond regular nervousness. Signs of dental anxiety, sometimes called dental phobia, include:

• Increased agitation as you get closer and closer to your visit
• Trouble sleeping the night before your visit
• Feeling ill or wanting to cry at the thought of going to the dentist
• Feeling panicky when a dental tool is placed in your mouth

If any of these feelings sounds familiar, you likely suffer from dental anxiety. Fortunately, you’re not alone. In fact, one of the reasons that Dr. Brown decided to go into dentistry was his own experience with dental trauma. 

Dr. Brown specializes in working with patients with dental anxiety. His practice offers most types of sedation dentistry, and she has been certified in oral sedation for over 20 years.

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What is sedation dentistry?

Sedation dentistry uses a variety of medications to help anxious patients feel at ease during their dental procedures. You can divide sedation dentistry into four main levels:

Minimal sedation

Minimal sedation relaxes you without making you fall asleep.

Moderate sedation

Formerly known as “conscious sedation,” moderate sedation relaxes you to the point that you slur your words and you may not remember some of your procedure.

Deep sedation

Deep sedation brings you close to sleep. Though you may doze off when you’re deeply sedated, your team can still wake you up with a tap to the shoulder.

General anesthesia

Under general anesthesia, you’re completely unconscious. To make sure that you feel safe and have access to the level of sedation that you need, Christina P. Mason, DDS, Inc. partners with an on-call anesthesiologist. 

What is oral sedation?

If you have dental anxiety, Dr. Mason and her team can help you relax with oral sedation, which relies on prescription medication taken by mouth to help ease dental anxiety. 

Typically, if the team decides oral sedation is right for you, they instruct you to take the sedation medication about an hour before your procedure. 

If you choose this or any other type of sedation, remember to arrange for someone to drive you home. 

Christina P. Mason, DDS, Inc. centers its practice around you. If dental anxiety has been holding you back from scheduling a dental appointment, rest assured that you’re in capable, empathetic hands at Christina P. Mason, DDS. To find out more or to schedule your appointment, reach out online or over the phone today.