Dental phobia is the serious, often paralyzing fear of seeking dental care. It has been reported that 50 percent of the American population does not seek regular dental care.
Remember: The key to good oral health is prevention—stopping problems before they arise. Unfortunately, people who suffer from dental anxiety often fail to visit the dentist for routine care. When they finally do go, often a small preventable problem has turned into a problem with will require major intervention.
Once we know what your fears are, we will be better able to work with you to determine the best ways to make you less anxious and more comfortable. Rest assured that we take your fear seriously and we will not initiate any treatment without making sure that you are fully relaxed and ready.
If desired, we can offer sedation dentistry. Sedation dentistry is a term that refers to the use of anesthesia during treatment to put patients into a relaxed state, almost like sleep. Sedation dentistry is often used during procedures that require an extensive amount of time in the treatment chair, and sedation is ideal for patients who exhibit dental phobia or have difficulty controlling their movements (this includes children). While sedation dentistry implies that patients are unconscious, this is usually not the case. Some forms of sedation dentistry simply alleviate anxiety or put patients in a sleep-like state, so that little is felt or remembered from the dentistry procedure.
Our office is highly equipped to make your dental visit most pleasant and highly safe.
In the past, going to the dentist was a painful experience, and one which people dreaded with good reason. Not only were the procedures often painful, but the sound of the drill often upset people as well.
All that is history. Dental equipment is far more sophisticated. The sound of the drill is now no more than a soft whine, and pain relief is readily available.
Dental procedures are now mainly painless.
In spite of these improvements, many people still experience anxiety, fear and even phobia about going to the dentist. This can lead to neglect of dental problems and cause even more pain than the patient is trying to avoid.
Mild anxiety is no more than one of life’s manageable difficulties. However, if anxiety and fear keep you away from the dentist, dental problems are more likely to develop or get worse.
It is important to see your dentist twice a year, even if you don’t look forward to the appointment. If dental problems are neglected, they will become worse. They never “just go away.”
Regular dental check-ups can prevent problems from developing. Tell Dr. Babik about your fears. Pain relief and anxiety reducing medications such as “happy gas” are available. Simple reassurance from Dr. Babik can also go a long way to relaxing a nervous patient.