The professionals at Westgate Dental Care know that, for some patients, trips to the dentist can be extremely scary. In fact, dentophobia is common among people of all ages and can be one of the main reasons people avoid getting necessary dental care altogether.
However, putting off important procedures can have long-term negative consequences on individuals’ oral health. To combat dentophobia and provide clients with the treatments they need, Westgate Dental Care developed a comfort menu available to all patients to help them feel more calm and relaxed in the dentist’s chair.
The comfort menu includes state-of-the-art chairs that include warming and massage features, providing noise-cancelling headphones to reduce the sounds associated with dental procedures, a warm blanket and televisions in the rooms so people can enjoy the show of their choosing during treatments.
For longer and more extensive procedures, Westgate Dental Care offers several options to calm patients’ nerves and help make it seem like the procedure is passing quickly. Nitrous oxide, sometimes known as laughing gas, is one option patients can choose to calm their anxiety during long procedures. Nitrous oxide is typically available to patients the same day, meaning they do not need to request its use prior to their appointment. However, mentioning that this method is preferred when scheduling an appointment can help the office prepare in advance.
Nitrous oxide will reduce anxiety, but will not numb the area being worked on. Therefore, it is used in combination with numbing agents. Once the nitrous oxide is removed and replaced with oxygen, patients will return to feeling normal within 35 to 40 seconds. Patients are typically able to drive themselves to and from appointments where nitrous oxide is used. It can be a quick and simple way to alleviate anxiety for procedures that typically cause patients’ stress, such as root canals. Westgate Dental Care may also suggest the use of oral medications to reduce anxiety.
“Both of these methods can be beneficial for those who feel overwhelmed by dental procedures or who have neglected their oral hygiene for any amount of time due to a fear of the dentist,” said Christian. “We’re pleased to offer ways to help people lessen their anxiety so that they’re willing to schedule an appointment and receive the treatments they need maintain good oral health.”
In addition to offering patients anxiety and pain-free dentistry options, using either of the above methods can allow dentists to perform multiple procedures at once. This saves patients time and eliminates the need for multiple visits to complete different treatments.
“Not only does completing several necessary procedures at once save patients time in the long run, it also lessens the anxiety and fear around scheduling multiple appointments. It’s relaxing to patients to know that everything can be completed in one appointment,” said Christian.
Staff members at Westgate Dental Care are available to answer patients’ questions about anxiety-free dentistry options, the comfort menu, and help schedule both regular teeth cleanings and more involved appointments. To learn more about Westgate Dental, call (847) 577-7171 or visit westgatedentalcare.net.