Visiting a dentist can be a patient’s worst nightmare. If you have ever visited a dentist, you must have realized that their waiting lounge is usually filled with people that are anxious about having their mouth examined. This is because the visits are usually associated with pain or bad news about their teeth or gums. In fact, there are many people who opt for home remedies when they have a dental issue instead of sitting in the dentist’s chair. Dentists on the other hand normally have to literally wrestle with their patients to be able to complete crucial procedures. That’s why sedation dentistry was introduced. Just like the name suggests, dentists use a combination of oral sedatives to make their patient fall asleep. The new approach makes dental procedures to be free from pain which in return encourages patients to continue seeking dental care services in clinics. Here is a list of reasons why the use of sedatives in dentistry has become popular.
1. Relief from Anxiety
Most people develop cold feet when they see the tools that are used by professional dentists. This is because they imagine that the dentist can make a mistake that can be a threat to their life. It’s actually common for a patient to be gripped by fear as soon as the appointment with a dentist has been booked. As a result, some opt to keep postponing their appointment. This can cause the dental issue that they are suffering from to get out of hand. There are actually some dental issues that should be attended to immediately they happen. When sedatives are used, the patient is able to relax before and during the procedure. This is because the sleep diverts their attention from the procedure that they are about to go through.
2. Prevention of Traumatic Dental Experience
When a patient has had a painful experience during a visit to a dentist’s clinic, the pain can continue to ring in their mind forever. This experience can make them go for regular checkups. Sedatives can therefore be useful in ensuring that patients don’t recall what happened the last time they sat on the chair. Even after waking up, the patient will just see some tools that are close to the chair but can’t tell whether the dentist used them or not.
3. Makes Dental Care to be Easier
The fear of pain causes patients not to be still when seated on the chair. They keep making movements that make the work of a dentist complicated. In fact, it can take ages for a dentist to treat a patient that’s wailing and moving like a dog that’s being strangled. Such patients usually close their mouth, refusing the dentist to access the teeth that are at the extreme end. By using oral sedatives, dentists are able to execute their procedures without encountering any resistance. Sedation actually guarantees that the dentist will swiftly swing into action and finish the job before the patient wakes up.
4. Zero PainOnce a patient has been sedated, the deep sleep prevents the nerves from detecting any pain that might be caused by the needles and other tools. This lack of pain prevents the patient from stiffening the muscles of the mouth, guaranteeing a stress free procedure. The other benefit is that the sedative doesn’t knock out the patient completely like general anesthesia. The patient can actually remain in communication mode throughout the procedure. This means that the patient can hear what the dentist is saying and answer back.