Halloween brings a lot of things to be afraid or fearful of. Those dark night illuminated only by the full moon hanging in the sky; are there werewolves on the prowl? Maybe you even pay for the pleasure of being scared by visiting a haunted house or renting a horror movie.
Or you just flip on AMC for a monster movie marathon. Maybe you can even catch the late, great Wes Craven’s “Nightmare on Elm Street” for your fill of Halloween chills. But there’s one thing we really don’t want to give you chills or creep you out.
That’s a trip to the dentist’s office. At Sanders Family Dental in Mansfield, TX, we know that millions of Americans are scared or anxious to visit the dentist’s office. But they don’t have to be anymore, as dental technology is working to take anxiety out of the equation.
At our comfortable office, we practice sedation dentistry. Sedation dentistry is specifically designed to help take fear and anxiety out of your dental procedures. That means worry-free appointments. In today’s blog post, we’re going to tell you a little more about sedation dentistry.
In general, you should never put off a dental procedure due to fear or anxiety. Small problems can become much larger if they are left untreated. That minor cavity may later require a tooth canal if it is not treated quickly.
To reduce your fears and anxiety, we offer three types of dental sedation. The most popular option is nitrous oxide sedation. Commonly called laughing gas, nitrous oxide is safe and clean gas delivered to you via a mask during your procedure.
Nitrous oxide helps to keep you relaxed during your procedure. You won’t fall asleep, but you will be less nervous and perhaps less aware of your surroundings. But the effects of nitrous oxide are completely temporary and will wear off almost right after your procedure. That means you can even drive yourself home afterwards.
If you prefer a stronger form of sedation, oral sedation is also an option. Oral sedation is achieved by prescribing you a mild sedative to take shortly before the procedure. Oral sedation is great if you have difficult time going numb or need to have a more complicated procedure performed.
During oral sedation, you may experience some time-loss. Although you will not be asleep, you may not remember all of the procedure. But even in this deep state of relaxation, you will be able to respond to directions from the dentist. You will likely need someone to drive you home after your procedure.
We also offer IV sedation if you are undergoing a lengthy procedure or have intense dental fear. With IV sedation, we put you completely to sleep. If you’d like to learn more about our options for IV sedation, we encourage you to contact our Mansfield office for more details.
So this Halloween, don’t be afraid of the dentist. Save the nervousness for a trip to a haunted house or a monster movie. Let us take care of your smile, and help you look great for the other holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas) that are right around the corner.
So don’t wait. Make an appointment at Sanders Family Dental in Mansfield, TX, today. If you’d like to make appointment, we can be reached at 817-719-7111. We can’t wait to hear from you!