McAllen, TX -- (SBWire) -- 03/13/2014 --We can kiss dental phobia goodbye. Today, Dental clinics offer various techniques to overcome dental phobia or anxiety. Dentist approaches vary from use of non-threatening language, interactive approaches based on tell-show-do techniques, structured time and positive reinforcement.
Clinical terms such as “drill” can be associated with pain. These often feared words trigger existing associations with clinical treatments that are oftentimes had negative or bad experiences. The use of non-threatening words and positive comments help change patient’s emotional state of mind. Thus, changing dental encounters a positive experience.
Tell-Show-do work is another dental technique dentists use to calm their patients by telling the patients the procedure, showing them the equipment and when to perform the procedure. It’s like giving the patients a heads up and the power to be in control of every procedure. In this case the dentist asks for permission before doing a procedure and allows stop signal when patient feels uncomfortable or slight pain. The tell-show-do technique is considered a rapid form of desensitisation, where anxiety is reduced by a gradual acclimatisation to the object which causes fear according to Dental Fear Central Org.
Another procedure applied by dentists is Structured Time. It means breaking up a procedure into manageable portions or taking frequent breaks. This procedure prevents anticipatory thoughts causing panic and overwhelming on the patient’s side. It increases patient’s confidence to handle the situation.
If these tricks won’t work, Dental Clinics offers sedation dentistry. Sedation dentistry uses pharmacological agents to calm and relax a patient prior to and during a dental appointment. Sedative relaxes patients and to some point induces sleep. The technique is recommended for patients that have high level of anxiety disorder, mental problems, and for invasive or complex extractions.
There are three types of dental sedation techniques; Inhalation, oral and intravenous sedations. Nitrous oxide or the laughing gas induces a pleasurable feeling, tingling or warm sensation that lessen the pain. It mostly recommended as it only take 3-5 minutes to exit the patient’s body. Oral sedation decreases anxiety by binding with receptors in the brain which tone down activity in those parts of the brain responsible for fear. This pill belongs to “benzodiazepine” family that should be used with caution as it may take hours for the effects to subside. Intravenous sedation on the other hand is a procedure where sedative drug is administered into the blood system. This procedure induces a state of deep relaxation and a feeling of not being bothered by what’s going on. It is extremely safe when carried out under the supervision of a specially-trained dentist but should be avoided by patients who are pregnant, with allergies, intoxicated and suffers depression.
Though these procedures help many patients with severe anxiety or phobia, it’s beneficial when discussed properly with the dentist. Patient doesn’t need to be sedated when the situation doesn’t require one. These treatments are only valid for procedures with complex procedures that cause severe pain and discomfort to make your dental visits as pleasurable as possible.
About Xpress Dental Clinic
Xpress Dental Clinic offers the most advanced dental practices in the Rio Grande Valley to give customers comfortable, relaxing dental experience. All equipment’s are meticulously scrutinized to deliver the best possible care. Express Dental Clinic uses electric handpieces and offer Bluetooth wireless headphones to eliminate the "old fashion" dentist office noise and have advanced, in-office "mini" manufacturing technology that creates superior quality dental crowns, onlays and overlays in less than a day.
