Nervous Patients and Conscious Sedation

Gentle dentistry for patients in Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham.

It has been suggested that the main reason for patients being afraid of the dentist is that the procedures all take place so close to the sensory organs such as the eyes and ears. This could also explain why the sound of the drill is a commonly cited factor as one of the main causes.

This theory certainly does make sense and may help to explain why such a large number of patients hold a genuine fear of visiting a dental surgery. For some, this fear is so significant that they regularly cancel appointments or simply don’t make them in the first place.

Preventative Care

Although we understand a patient’s concern; by not visiting the dentist, they are far more likely to have to endure the type of procedure which so frightens them. If they visited the dentist on a regular basis, there should, barring accidents of course, be limited need for any major procedure and hopefully any treatment should be minor, such as a small filling.

To encourage regular dental check ups, at Arthur House Dental Care we have done everything that we can  to ensure that all patients are made to feel as comfortable as possible.

From the decor of our practice to the manner in which our team discuss with patients; every step is designed to put our patients at ease. We find that, for mild to moderate cases, this approach works well and patients do tend to feel more comfortable and so are encouraged to make and keep their appointments.

Severe Anxiety

There are patients however, whose dental phobia is far more significant and no amount of relaxing surroundings and gentle approach will alleviate this.

If this is a long term anxiety, it may be a worthwhile approach to see your doctor who may be able to help. Many doctors recognise the importance of dental care for general, as well as oral health, and are happy to give a short course of anti anxiety medication to enable these patients to attend the appointment. For those who are aware that they are going to have an invasive procedure, such as dental implants though, the anxiety may raise to a level above that which even suitable medication can help.

To enable us to perform the procedure safely and effectively and also to ensure that the patient feels comfortable whilst it is being performed, we are able to offer conscious sedation which is administered by our consultant anaesthetist. This allows the patient to remain in a completely relaxed state whilst being conscious and able to respond to our questions and requests.

An added bonus for nervous patients is that conscious sedation tends to have the effect of making time appear to pass very quickly – so a procedure that takes an hour seems to pass in just a few minutes. If you suffer from dental anxiety and would like advice as to whether conscious sedation is appropriate in your case, we are always happy to help. Simply call our reception team on 0121 323 4492 for more information and friendly advice.