I haven’t been to the dentist in a while because of anxiety. I think if I went to a dentist who uses sedation it would be easier. But, my dentist doesn’t use any form of sedation. When I asked him to recommend someone to me he said it would be almost impossible for me to find someone who’d do sedation on me given the amount of anxiety medication I’m on. Is that true? What if I didn’t tell them what I was on and check a medicine list to make sure the sedation and my meds were safe together?
Laura
Dear Laura,
Dental sedation is a great solution for patients with a high amount of anxiety
It seems your dentist gave you some misinformation. Dental sedation is the perfect solution for patients in your situation. I wouldn’t recommend hiding from any dentist medication you’re taking. That’s quite dangerous because you never know if something is going to come up that will require an unexpected medication. If he doesn’t know what you’re taking it can cause serious complications.
Another thing to consider is there isn’t just one sedation medication. Each sedation dentist uses a different medication so there’d be no way for you to know which specific meds he uses. But, you don’t need to worry. They won’t turn you away as your current dentist implied.
When it comes to dental sedation, they will always have a consultation with you first to go over things such as medical conditions and prescriptions. If he happens to use a sedation medication that is contraindicative with your medications, he will make sure to use a different one in your case.
Benefits of Dental Sedation
You Can Have an Anxiety-free and Stress-free Appointment
People who’ve avoided the dentist for years find they’re finally able to handle regular dental appointments.
You Can Get Much More Work Done in Each Appointment
You’ve avoided the dentist for years. Don’t feel guilty about that. Instead, you should feel proud that you’re finally taking steps to change that. Just be aware that you will likely need a lot of work when you first start back. The good news is sedation allows your dentist to get a lot more done in each appointment, while you relax in complete comfort. In fact, you’ll probably sleep through it!
Fewer Dental Emergencies
Many patients with dental fear end up only going to the dentist for dental emergencies. They seem to survive between guilt for not going and tolerating unnecessary pain until they can’t take it anymore and finally go in. Now that you’ll be able to go regularly, you’ll find yourself in a lot less pain. You’ll probably even feel better overall. Not many realize there’s a direct correlation between oral health and physical health.
This blog is brought to you by Dr. Warren Krutchick.