Around 36% of Americans have a fear of dental treatment, with 12% categorizing their fear as “extreme”. When a patient is afraid of the dentist, even routine dental cleanings can be overwhelming and scary. Fortunately, Bivona Family Dental is dedicated to patient comfort and care! Our compassionate doctors and staff ensure that you remain comfortable before, during, and after the procedure by building trust and prioritizing your needs. Often, getting past dental anxiety is a long and complicated process that takes time and effort. Unfortunately, not everyone has this time to spend! However, with dental sedation as a stepping stone, we can help you manage dental anxiety and build your confidence.
Understanding Dental Sedation
When you feel uncomfortable or afraid at the dentist, it’s common to develop a negative association with dental treatment. This can lead to dental anxiety, reinforcing the idea that going to the dentist is something to be afraid of. Dental anxiety can have a profound effect on your life, causing some patients to avoid the dentist altogether! Unfortunately, avoiding the dentist has many negative consequences, as routine dental visits are a crucial part of maintaining oral health.
At Bivona Family Dental, we strive to create a welcoming and comfortable environment for all our patients during their dental visits. At your first appointment, we spend time getting to know you, both as a patient and as a person. We’ll discuss your past dental history, your concerns, and your needs. If you have a fear of dental treatments, we offer dental sedation options to help keep you comfortable throughout any procedure, from cleanings to implant placement. However, we believe that sedation is just a stepping stone to getting over dental anxiety, not the solution.
Using dental sedation, we provide positive experiences at the dentist, building your confidence and gradually easing your fears. After a few sessions, you should hopefully have gotten to know our team, creating a lasting relationship built on trust. Eventually, a trip to the dentist should be commonplace, with no sedation dentistry necessary.
Our Dental Sedation Options
It’s important to note that for most dental procedures, you will not be put to sleep. General anesthesia is the only method that allows you to go fully under for a dental procedure, but most patients will never need it. Instead, we offer various sedation options that keep you comfortable but awake, allowing you to follow directions.
At Bivona Family Dental, we offer two types of sedation dentistry.
Conscious Oral Sedation
Commonly, patients like you in need of dental sedation will undergo conscious oral sedation.
This sedation tactic often comes in the form of a prescription pill that you take before the procedure. Because the pill may take effect immediately, you should have someone with you when you take it and prepared to drive you to and from your appointment.
Once you arrive at Bivona Family Dental, you will experience a deep sense of relaxation, remaining completely comfortable throughout the procedure. You will, however, be alert and able to follow any instructions we give you. This is essential for most dental procedures, as we may ask you to position your head or tongue in a specific way.
Additionally, we monitor your vital signs throughout the procedure to ensure your safety!
Nitrous Oxide
For patients who require only minimal sedation, we offer a less intense option with nitrous oxide!
Also known as laughing gas, this sedation process involves inhaling the gas through a mouth or nosepiece. In just a few seconds, you will experience a sense of calm that overshadows any anxiety you may have felt previously.
What’s amazing about nitrous oxide is that we can instantly reverse its effects! By breathing in oxygen from the mouth or nosepiece, you flush the laughing gas out of your system, allowing you to safely drive to and from your appointment.
Trust Bivona Family Dental for Comfortable Care
If you experience dental anxiety, we offer incredible solutions that help you not only face your fear but move past it. Through positive experiences and dental sedation, we transform your perception of dental treatments! Trust Bivona Family Dental to build a trusting relationship with you and provide quality and comfortable care.
Book an appointment today to combat your dental anxiety with our help!
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