Dentist in Tucson, AZ Providing Safe, Stress-Free Sedation Therapy for Patients Crippled by Dental Fear

We have the privilege of living during an incredibly exciting era of dentistry. Due to recent developments in dental care, dentists are now, more than ever, able to meet and surpass patient needs and expectations. In the excitement of having the most up to date and technologically advanced equipment that the dental world has ever been able to utilize, the fears and anxieties that a patient may feel can sometimes be overlooked. Dr. Colby Echols and his team at Swan Dental in Tucson, AZ strive to provide stress-free dental care for patients in the area through the utilization of sedation.

Providing patients with the necessary resources and treatments to help them overcome any dental fears is important but can sometimes be overlooked. Let’s clear up any confusion here and state it simply – there is no mistake that patients can be absolutely crippled by dental fear. Many patients who experience dental fear do so because of an experience that involved a certain level of pain. There are dentists out there who can exacerbate the issue by being insensitive or making a flippant remark about the patient’s concerns. Another major cause of dental fear is the fear of the unknown. Even if a patient doesn’t have any negative past experiences, they can still go in with heightened levels of fear due to, for instance, just having heard that a procedure is painful. This form of learned fear is called vicarious learning and is quite common.

Painless Dentistry – Is It Safe?

The simple answer to this question is yes, painless dentistry is completely safe. Many patients may not be aware of the fact that sedation dentistry has been practiced by dentists all over the world for decades. Recent times have seen the emergence of new techniques that have allowed this practice to expand to more dental practices than ever before. With advances in these sedation techniques, painless dentistry can be used for even the most routine of procedures including teeth cleaning. Patients who find themselves fearing even the thought of sitting in a dentist chair, the calming and numbing effect which painless dentistry provides is a welcome antidote. The sedation used for painless dentistry can be administered in two ways;

• Inhaled: Using nitrous oxide (laughing gas) which is carefully pumped through a breathing mask. Many patients will have the ability to drive themselves home after this method of sedation.
• Oral: This form of sedation is administered through a pill that can come in several levels of strength. Oral sedation can leave the patient in a groggy state so that they sleep though the dental procedure.

All these sedation methods will often be used alongside a topical anesthetic which will numb the area that the dentist will be working on. These two approaches, when used together, will result in a truly painless dental experience.

To learn more about the forms of sedation therapy used at Swan Dental, please call (520) 595-3655 today.