Many patients report feelings of anxiety prior to a dental cleaning or treatment. However, if you fear the dentist so much that you’ve put off necessary care, know that Dr. Olivia Hart and the team at Virginia Biological Dentistry have a solution for you.
Dr. Hart understands that many individuals avoid appointments because of anxiety. She also knows that even the friendliest dental team and gentlest care won’t always fix great anxiety. That is why Dr. Hart offers her patients dental sedation options during dental procedures.
Sedation allows patients to feel calm and relaxed, while still being aware of their surroundings and able to answer questions or respond to direction from the dental team. As a result, patients will have a far more comfortable experience and still receive necessary dental treatment. Over time, it can help patients replace negative perceptions of dental treatment with positive experiences.
Mild sedation can be administered with nitrous oxide, known as laughing gas. Using a small nasal mask, the nitrous oxide is breathed in by the patient during the appointment. It can be turned on and off immediately and it only takes a moment for the effects to cease. Patients can drive themselves to and from the appointment.
For patients who need a deeper level of sedation, Dr. Hart offers oral conscious sedation. This puts the patient into a deeper level of relaxation while still being awake. In this case, the effects of the pill can take several hours to wear off, so the patient will need to arrange transportation to and from the office.
If you, or someone you love, have a fear of the dentist that’s standing in the way of necessary dental treatment, call Dr. Hart at Virginia Biological Dentistry to talk about sedation dentistry.
