Anxiety Free Dental Treatment

Sedation dentistry could be the answer to your dental phobia.

Fear of going to the dentist is very common, with around half of us experiencing some level of anxiety about our visits. For some people this even happens when no more than a check up is involved. Whilst, with good home oral health care and regular checks at your local dentists, we hope to avoid invasive treatment, from time to time this may be necessary.

In this context, a number of Burton patients have also expressed interest in having dental implants placed at Alexandra Dental Care in order to replace missing teeth, but have been concerned about the surgery involved. The good news is that with the aid of sedation dentistry, even the most nervous dental patient is able to undergo these procedures free from their anxieties and concerns.

What sedation is used?

We use intravenous sedation (IV sedation) which is administered into the back of the patient’s hand and which leaves you feeling extremely relaxed during the procedure. This is a powerful sedative but one that enables you to stay awake during the procedure, albeit it in an extremely relaxed state.

So I won’t be asleep?

No. To be ‘put to sleep’ for a procedure, this would have to be done in hospital with an anaesthetist present. Being conscious during a procedure is important, as we may wish to ask you questions during the procedure. An additional benefit that some patients who have had IV sedation have noted is that even fairly lengthy procedures seem to be over very quickly.

How will I feel when it wears off?

The sedative can stay in your system for 24 hours or so, and we therefore ask that you bring a friend or relative with you on the day of your procedure if you are having IV sedation, in order to get you home safely. Under no circumstances should you drive yourself and even taking public transport may present problems. We recommend that you try to rest in the 24 hours following the procedure as much as you can.

Can I have sedation for any procedure?

Whilst we appreciate that some people suffer severe dental anxiety, we do all that we can to help our patients feel relaxed, even for routine non treatment appointments. If you are particularly anxious, please let us know when you register with us so that we are aware of this. For invasive procedures, we are happy to discuss the use of a sedative to enable you to have the necessary treatment without any worries.

If you are a dental patient from Burton or surrounding areas and would like more information about sedation dentistry, please call Alexandra Dental Care on 01283 216347.

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