Dental phobias are more common than you may realise

Dental phobias are more common than you may realise. The fear of pain or even just the fear of visiting the dentist due to a previously bad experience can sometimes prevent people from undergoing the treatment they need.


Now that professional sedation dentistry has become readily available, the reasons for dental phobia are gone. Sedation dentistry puts a patient into a soothing dream-like state. There are several methods of inducing this affect, including oral sedation, intravenous injection, and inhalation. With oral sedation, the dentist prescribes an anti-anxiety drug to be taken either the night before or several hours prior to the appointment.

Depending on various factors, these drugs can produce different effects, from mild relaxation to sleep.

Intravenous (IV) sedatives are delivered at the time of the appointment. These involve the injection of sedation medication into a vein in either the arm or the back of the hand. After the sedative takes effect, the patient falls asleep and a local anaesthesia is given to the patient. When using these medications, a patient's vital signs (heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen level and breathing rate) are constantly monitored.


The most common dental sedative is nitrous oxide, or "laughing gas". A mask is placed over the patient's nose and mouth and the gas is breathed in. The effect is a pleasant floating sensation that means the patient feels little to no pain.


Dr David Moffet is a cosmetic dentist in Parramatta, NSW providing virtually pain free dentistry treatments. For more information please visit ttp://www.pain-free-dentist-parramatta.com.au