If you experience anxiety or fear about going to the dentist or undergoing dental treatments, you’re not alone. In fact, about 36% of Americans report being afraid to visit the dentist, with 12% saying this fear is extreme.
This anxiety can even create barriers that get in the way of patients accessing routine dental care and restorative treatments like dental implants. That’s why we at Smart Arches make it a top priority to help patients feel understood, ease anxiety with sedation dentistry, and always provide comfortable and compassionate care.
Keep reading to learn all about how sedation dentistry can help alleviate dental anxiety during dental implant treatment at Smart Arches!
What causes dental anxiety?
Understanding the root cause of your anxiety can help you and your oral surgeon develop effective, personalized solutions. Some of the most common causes of dental anxiety include:
- Past dental trauma
- An underlying mental health condition such as GAD or PTSD
- A bad dentist
- Feeling a loss of control
- Fear of pain
- Fear of judgment
- Fear of needles
- Lack of personal space
Benefits of sedation dentistry for dental anxiety
You deserve to have access to the life-changing dental implant treatment you need. At Smart Arches, we take our responsibility very seriously. We can use sedation to reduce dental anxiety during an implant procedure, or even eliminate it entirely.
Some of the benefits of sedation dentistry for dental anxiety include the following:
- It provides significant anxiety relief.
- It eliminates pain and discomfort during implant treatment.
- It can cause a type of anterograde amnesia; which means you won’t remember the procedure once it’s complete.
- It leads to a faster procedure by allowing the dentist to work more quickly.
Sedation options at Smart Arches
Our patients generally require 50% fewer visits because of our streamlined, efficient, and comfort-focused approach to restorative dentistry. We offer a variety of sedation options and consistently work to provide a premier, stress-free, and pain-free experience.
IV sedation
Intravenous (IV) sedation is fast-acting and highly effective. It ensures a relaxing and pain-free experience during your procedure. You will still be conscious and able to respond to those in the room; however, many patients fall asleep or have little-to-no memory of the procedure itself. IV sedation can be administered via a vein in your arm and the dosage can be adjusted at any time to achieve the best results.
Keep in mind that IV sedation can make you feel a bit groggy following your treatment, so you’ll need to have someone available to drive you home.
General anesthesia
Patients with severe dental anxiety or phobia may opt for general anesthesia, which is a form of unconscious sedation technology. This means you’ll be completely out for the entirety of your treatment. Anesthesia will be administered and monitored by an experienced anesthesiologist. You won’t feel any pain or discomfort and will have no memory whatsoever of your treatment.
As with IV sedation, you won’t be able to drive safely after your procedure. Be sure to make arrangements with a friend, family member, or transport service beforehand.
Other methods for easing dental anxiety
There are some other helpful strategies that can be used in conjunction with sedation to further improve your symptoms. Here are a few potentially helpful methods to ease dental anxiety for your dental implant procedure:
- Tell us about your anxiety before your appointment so we can develop customized solutions to maximize your comfort.
- Ask us any questions you have so you know what to expect during dental implant treatment.
- Try meditation or deep breathing techniques.
- Consider mental health counseling to help address underlying concerns or disorders.
- Ask if you’re a candidate for same-day dental implants to reduce the number of appointments you’ll need.
- Bring a loved one for support.
- Get plenty of rest before and after your procedure.
Let our specialists give you the smile you’ve always wanted in a comfortable, compassionate environment!
At Smart Arches, we provide state-of-the-art dental implant treatment to patients from all walks of life. If you’re suffering from missing, damaged, or severely decayed teeth, we can restore the cosmetic elegance and function of your smile.
Our incredible dental implant specialists work with patients who experience dental anxiety and fear every single day. We’re committed to providing excellent results through a stress-free, pain-free process.
Browse our patient transformations gallery and contact us to book your FREE consultation today. Let us know if you struggle with dental anxiety, and we’ll do everything we can to make you feel comfortable.
