It’s rare to hear about someone who says they enjoy going to the dentist. Most people are glad they went after a deep cleaning, knowing that their mouths feel healthy and clean now! But, the getting there can cause a bit of anxiety for just about anyone. For some, that anxiety can be debilitating to the point where treatment is postponed or delayed for years and years. This means issues compound over those years becoming worse and worse until it gets to the point where they are living in pain and don’t know what to do.
We’re here to help both of the types of anxiety we described above, but we want to take some time to talk to those with debilitating anxiety so we can help them get the care they need without the anxiety associated with a visit to the dentist. Dr. Davey is licensed to administer sedation and is an active member of the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation (DOCS).
For some, a small pill taken an hour before the appointment is all that is needed. This is called oral conscious sedation. You will be awake and aware of what is going on but will remain relaxed and calm. For others, a deeper layer of sedation may be needed. We can help with that as well. In most of these cases, we can help catch you up on several years of dental procedures in just one longer visit to the office with the help of sedation dentistry. This allows you to get the care you need in one visit with less anxiety and less trips to worry about.
For those with minor dental anxiety, we offer many amenities to make your experience more relaxing and enjoyable such as TV screens mounted on each patient chair so you can enjoy Netflix during your visits. If you have to have a longer procedure, be sure to be a few episodes into a good show and that will help distract you from any anxiety you may be feeling during the procedure. Our patients say this works wonders. We also provide headphones if you don’t have your own so you can listen to music if you prefer that over television. We provide soft pillows and blankets, and give you a warm towel at the end of your procedure. If you receive local anesthesia we even give you ice cream at the end of your visit!
If you suffer from any degree of dental anxiety we are trained and ready with all of the resources possible to help you get the care you need and deserve so you can have a healthy, pain-free experience.
