Overcome Dental Treatment Concerns
Anxiety can be a real barrier to receiving the treatment that you need. We can help!
Dental anxiety is one of the most common phobias there is and if you suffer from it, you know how debilitating it can be.
The anxiety may well have stemmed from an earlier dental experience elsewhere, perhaps as a young child, and can range from the relatively mild to very severe fear of seeing a dentist.
At Elmfield House Dental Practice, our dentists do all that they can to help patients receive any necessary treatment in a calm and relaxed manner. For those with mild levels of anxiety, this gentle approach can work very well, but for those whose anxiety is more severe, a little help may be needed.
Sedation
Although some people think about the old ‘dental gas’ when we mention sedation, this is an entirely different thing. The gas that used to put you to sleep is no longer used by dentists and can only be administered within a hospital environment. Instead, we offer what is sometimes known as ‘conscious sedation’. As the name implies, this will not put you to sleep (despite occasionally being referred to as ‘sleep dentistry’), but will enable you to receive your treatment in a totally relaxed but conscious state. The sedative can be administered either intravenously or orally.
In addition to the relaxation and lack of anxiety that sedation offers, we have been told by some patients that it also seems to make the procedure last for just a few minutes. If you are due to have a lengthy treatment such as a dental implant placement, it may be worth discussing sedation with us.
Bring a friend to help you get home
One point worth noting is that the sedative will remain in your bloodstream for approximately 24 hours. This means that, under no circumstances should you drive a car, or even take public transport alone. We strongly advise our Teddington patients to bring a responsible adult with them who can make sure that they return home safely following their treatment. You should also consider your work responsibilities, and, if you operate machinery etc, you should consider booking at least a day off following sedation, in order for it to leave your system completely.
At the Elmfield House Dental Practice, we work with our patients to manage any anxiety they may feel about their treatment. We are always happy to meet to discuss any issues, including dental phobia, to allow us to treat you most comfortably. If you are a nervous dental patient and live in the Teddington area, you can contact us by calling us on 020 8614 1995.