Options for Overcoming Dental Fear

Many people suffer from dental anxiety and avoid treatment because they just can’t overcome that anxiety. Recently we had a new patient at our Sedation Dentistry Manhattan Beach CA office with this very problem. Brad came to us expressing his fear of dental procedures and dentists in general. I took the time to assure him that he was not alone in experiencing these fears and that it was a very common problem. We then discussed his history in an effort to find out why he was so fearful.

As talked about his experiences in the past he related a story of negative childhood experiences with a dentist he considered to be less than compassionate in his approach to treatment. Brad became more relaxed as we talked, and eventually he lost the “deer in the headlights” look he had when he first came into the practice. Making patients feel at ease with the staff and surroundings is our goal and the first step to controlling and eliminating these fears. Brad was responding positively to having his own feelings taken into account.

We discussed how Sedation Dentistry provides many options for fearful patients. Sedation treatments such as Inhalation therapy (laughing gas) and oral conscious sedation can provide an anxiety-free experience from beginning to end. There are many factors to take into account when selecting the most appropriate sedation method, and everyone reacts differently to different types of sedation.

At the Sedation Dentistry Manhattan Beach CA office we match the needs of the patient with the correct sedation therapy. Brad also understood that delaying dental treatment because of his fears would ultimately lead to neglected oral care and long-term problems that would just become more difficult and costly to correct.

Brad was happy to learn that a controlled and regulated approach to the chosen level of sedation would allow my staff and I to monitor his comfort throughout the duration of his treatment, ensuring that the post-procedure experience would leave him feeling refreshed and renewed. Using a compassionate and understanding approach helped Brad to finally find a way to feel confident and happy about taking positive steps to ensure his oral health.