If you get anxious just thinking about sitting down in a dentist’s chair, don’t worry you are not alone. Sitting under bright lights and having people alternately poking your tender teeth and gums with sharp instruments and spraying strange tasting liquids or jets of air into your mouth shouldn’t be anyone’s idea of a relaxing afternoon. Being stressed out by a stressful situation is perfectly ok- but what isn’t ok is letting that stress keep you from seeing your dentist for regular cleaning and maintenance work. Unfortunately that’s just what tends to happen. At least thirty percent of the American population actively avoids going to the dentist until pain or an actual dental emergency drive them there. Of course, that’s pretty much the worst situation to be in- not only is the dental problem more complex and potentially painful, you end up paying for a far more expensive procedure than you might have had you come in before the damage got so far. Dr. Mark Sowell understands that dental work is uncomfortable and can be frightening- that’s why he offers his patients in Plano sedation dentistry.
What Is Sedation Dentistry?
Sedation dentistry sounds like you get put to sleep for the duration- and in fact, “sleep dentistry” is one of the nicknames this technique is known by. But despite this popular conception, patients do not actually experience complete unconsciousness during their procedures. In most procedures, patients are required to be alert enough to respond and react to the doctor and his staff, so actually being put to sleep would be counterproductive. So what is sedation dentistry?
Sedation dentistry in Plano involves the use of mild oral sedatives that induce a dreamlike state- hence the nickname “sleep dentistry.” Although patients remain alert enough to interact with the doctor and staff during the procedure, they do so in a state of deep relaxation, and many lose their normal sense of time so that the procedure seems to take place in mere minutes. For those of us who experience anxiety during dental procedures, sedation dentistry is a safe, stress-free way to ditch the fear-factor and get the oral care and maintenance we need.
