Your dentist may prescribe anti-anxiety drugs, such as diazepam (Valium), that you can take one hour before a scheduled dental visit. Your dentist may also recommend conscious sedation, such as nitrous oxide (or “laughing gas”), which can help calm nerves.
Anti-Anxiety Pills
The most commonly prescribed dental related drugs that treat anxiety belong to the “benzodiazepine” family. Drugs such as Valium, Halcion, Xanax, or Ativan. These drugs decrease anxiety by binding and toning down activity within “fear” receptors in the brain.
What Is Oral Sedation? Also called pill sedation, oral sedation is a type of sedation dentistry that uses prescription medication to help patients relax before and during their dental exams. The medication used for oral sedation is usually a type of benzodiazepine such as Valium, Xanax, or Halcion.
Remind the dentist and dental staff about your anxiety when you arrive. Share any bad experiences you may have had in the past, and ask for suggestions on coping strategies. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Sometimes knowing what is going to happen alleviates any fears of the unknown.
During routine dental examinations and cleanings, dentists can detect oral symptoms of stress, including orofacial pain, bruxism, temporomandibular disorders (TMJ), mouth sores and gum disease. If you're feeling tense or anxious, you should keep a watchful eye for signs of the following stress-related disorders.
The patient was informed that the dose of diazepam should not exceed 5–10 mg and should be taken 1 h before treatment. To measure the dental fear, we used Kleintnecht's Dental Fear Survey (DFS) at every visit.
Laughing gas carries the least risk compared to other sedation methods. Any side effects stop once we remove the mask. We can use laughing gas for everything, from teeth cleanings to root canals.
In general, nitrous oxide is considered the least invasive and the safest for most patients. Oral sedation consists of anti-anxiety medication and, for many patients, is perfectly safe. IV or sleep sedation involves being semi-conscious and therefore comes with the most possible risk.
You won't feel pain under oral conscious sedation, although that doesn't mean you won't feel anything at all. However, any minor discomfort you might feel will be easy to forget thanks to the relaxing effect of the sedation.
Results. The research evidence suggests that the causes of dental fear, dental anxiety or dental phobia are related to exogenous factors such as direct learning from traumatic experiences, vicarious learning through significant others and the media, and endogenous factors such as inheritance and personality traits.
It is recommended you do not have anything to eat or drink (except for water) at least 5 hours before your scheduled appointment. This will prevent food debris from lodging in your teeth, which can irritate you during a cleaning and give your dentist a little extra work to do.
Dentophobia is a fear of the dentist. People with this specific phobia feel anxious when they think about going to the dentist or actually visit the dentist. Past negative experiences, family history or feeling a loss of control can lead to dentophobia.
Yes, your dentist can put you to sleep during treatments. However, your dentist will begin looking at conscious sedation options first. Conscious sedation involves using medications to help you relax during a dental procedure. It's ideal for patients who feel anxious, nervous, or cannot sit still during dental visits.
If deemed appropriate by the dental practitioner, you may be put under sedation to help relieve any physical or physiological pain that the operation is likely to induce. The dental practitioner will administer the sedative drug either during or before the procedure begins.
If you're getting teeth pulled, it is possible that your care provider will give you a general anesthetic, which will put you to sleep for the procedure. If you're conscious, you may feel some slight pressure during tooth extractions, but there should be no pain.
Oral sedatives like diazepam can also help you to relax during a dental procedure. You must take the pills about an hour before your appointment. You will be fully awake but without the anxiety. You may feel sleepy until the effects of the drug wear off.
Oral sedation
Diazepam is typically taken in pill form with or without food and becomes effective in approximately an hour. It is safe for many patients and can help make you feel calm during dental treatment. Other effects of diazepam can include: Drowsiness.
An oral dose of a benzodiazepine may be used for premedication to aid anxiety management prior to dental treatment. The drugs are addictive and susceptible to abuse and therefore a maximum of 3-4 tablets should be prescribed. Diazepam is classed as a Schedule 4 Controlled Drug, and temazepam is Schedule 3.
anxiety – you should start to feel a bit better within a few hours, but it may take a week or 2 for you to feel the full effects. muscle spasms – you should begin to feel less pain after 15 minutes. Your muscles will start to relax when you have been taking diazepam regularly for a few days.
Similarly to flossing, your dental team will also be able to tell if you don't brush your teeth often enough or even if you brush too hard. Those who don't brush the recommended two times a day will often have larger areas of tartar buildup and puffy, red gums.
Tips to Overcome Your Embarrassment of Going to the Dentist
Communicate your concerns. Explain to your dentist why you're embarrassed before your visit. Sharing your concerns with the dentist and dental staff will help them adapt their treatment to your needs and put you at ease while you're in the chair.