It is hard to argue with that which is not rational, and phobias, by their very nature, are irrational. As a result, alternative methods to reasoning need to be concocted in order to coax out the myriad of silent and not-so-silent sufferers of dental phobia from under their certainly-not-a-dental-practice places of hiding. In all seriousness, dental phobia is a serious matter: In America, for instance, at least three quarters of the general public suffer with some kind of dental fear, whilst somewhere around 10% and 20% of Americans suffer from dental phobia so crippling that they refuse to go to checkups and surgeries. Not doing so, of course, will allow problems to run unchecked and will seriously impact one’s oral health. That those figures are from across the pond shouldn’t be a comfort either: according to the British Dental Foundation, around a quarter of people will publicly admit to being scared of the dentist and many more are speculated to be afraid of admitting those fears. So, the question remains: how do you deal with an irrational fear which can impact one so terribly? Well, at Liverpool Dental Spa we like to use intravenous dental sedation…
What is this intravenous sedation?
Fear not, it is safe as houses. The sedative would be administered before any procedures would begin and it should make you feel calm and contented. You will not fall asleep and will still be able to interact with the dentist. Other’s have compared the feeling produced by sedation to being a little tipsy, so it is a good idea to have a friend on call afterwards (sort of like a designated driver).
How does it work?
To be frank: via injection. If you also have a fear of needles, please talk to one of our staff as some alternatives may be able to be provided. The sedative is applied via a very thin needle that is used on a vein, which is incredibly close to the surface of your skin. Dental sedation is proving so popular that it is even being used as an alternative to a traditional anaesthetic during treatments!
Talk to us
Our friendly and attentive staff are always willing to hear your concerns and will endeavour to make your treatment as comfortable as possible.
