Anxiety Management

Problem:

Many people experience some anxiety at having to visit their dentist. This level of anxiety can vary from very mild to the extreme.

Solution:

For those with mild anxiety, gentle reassurance in conjunction with topical anaesthetic (numbing paste) prior to the careful administration of the local anaesthetic ( painless injection) is often enough.

With moderate anxiety, laughing gas (nitrous oxide) or a presedation with a sedative (hypnovel) tablet may be all that is needed to help a patient through a procedure.

In cases of severe anxiety we would recommend sedation dentistry.

Sedation dentistry involves the intravenous administration of a sedative drug (hypnovel) to relax the patient to a level where dentistry is possible. Once relaxed and not aware of their surroundings, local anaesthetic is placed to numb the teeth to be treated. The patient generally recalls nothing or very little of the procedure and often think they have been asleep throughout.

Sedation dentistry is very useful if a patient hasn't been for a long time, is nervous and wants to catch up on their dental health in one visit.