Health
Thousands Overcoming Dental Fear With Help of Oral Sedatives
I don’t so much avoid going to the dentist as I proactively fill my schedule to the brim so there is simply no time for a monthly, bi-monthly, or tri-monthly checkup. Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s incredibly important to be aware of your overall dental health. I brush every morning and night, use a mouthwash that supposedly makes my teeth whiter AND kills 99.9% of all bacteria, while remembering to floss about twice a week. Yes, this is impressive, I know. However, regardless of my efforts in making my teeth whiter the color seems to slowly approach that of a faded Post-It note.
Naturally this unwanted development lead me to the internet in search of answers, and while browsing I came across an interesting fact. 50% of Americans suffer from a type of fear or anxiety which prevents them from visiting the dentist. In my head I imagine the stereotypical dank, damp, and dreary basement dental office with a loud drill and expired magazines littered everywhere, but in reality it is more of a fear of the unknown which seems to cause the most issues. When bringing this point up to a friend, who also happens to be a Boston cosmetic dentist, he explained to me the recently implemented procedure known as oral sedation dentistry.
Again this lead me to the internet, scouring all relevant pages to obtain information on easing the anxiety which is so easily associated to visiting the dentist’s office. The following bullet points illustrate what my research has taught me about oral sedation dentistry.