Pasadena Texas Dental Sedation:
Causes of Dental Anxiety
Dental anxiety Caused By Your Own Experience
The most common cause of dental fear/anxiety is a prior traumatic dental experience. Usually it is in childhood stages. All it takes is one traumatic event of the dentist ignoring your pain during the dental procedure (“I am almost done”). When the dentist did not stop it creates lifelong fear of the dentist.
Restraining children during early dental procedures was another common source of dental fear and anxiety during adulthood. Unfortunately, this was a common practice in pediatric dentistry in the past. However, dentist treating kids are much more aware of the detrimental impact of dental fear and anxiety on their young patients. In dental school Dr. Nugent was taught more about the psychology of dental fear and anxiety.
Dental Fear and Dental Anxiety Caused By the Experiences of Others
Sometimes all it takes to develop dental fear and dental anxiety is listening to a friend or a family member talking about their negative dental experience. You probably have heard about a someones: 1) childhood traumatic dental experience 2) the horrors of their root canal experience 3) the removal of their wisdom teeth 4) painful injections.
One must realize that the person describing the traumatic event is telling the story in such descriptive terms to try to express the degree of pain and discomfort that they’ve experienced. There may be some truth to the experience, naturally there is a large element of exaggeration associated with telling this type of story.
Dental Sedation Patients
There is absolutely no reason why anyone should experience pain during a dental procedure. Dr. Nugent promises you that if you experience pain he will immediately stop. It just means that you are not completely numb. Everyone has different nerve anatomy and your nerve distribution may be different. No big deal, Dr. Nugent utilizes various techniques local anesthesia to overcome anatomical challenges.
Dental anxiety refers to an uneasiness or worry about an upcoming dental appointment, which is less severe than dental phobia. It can be managed by talking to Dr. Nugent about your fears and worries. Strategies to help cope with dental anxiety include asking Dr. Nugent to explain what’s happening at every stage of the appointment or procedure, establishing a stop signal, using earbuds to listen to music, and if the anxiety is severe, using nitrous oxide gas or IV sedation.
People often avoid the dentist due to painful or unpleasant past experiences, fear of needles, fear of dental impressions, embarrassment, and loss of control. Advances in dentistry have made dental procedures less painful and often none at all. However, many people still fear needles, anesthesia, and dental impressions, which can be replaced by digital technology.
Dental phobia is a sign of panic-stricken or terrified at the thought of a dental cleaning or procedure. People with a dental phobia do everything possible to avoid going to the dentist, perhaps only going when extreme issues force them to. Other signs of dental phobia include trouble sleeping the night before a dentist appointment, a nervous feeling that gets worse in the dentist’s waiting room, getting to the dentist’s office but being unable to enter, and crying or being physically ill at the very thought of visiting the dentist.
Sedation Dentistry allows Dr. Nugent to treat the frightened patient easily. The patient is relaxed and calm from the sedation. This allows even the most scared patient to get the dentistry they need. Dr. Nugent uses Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) and oral pills to relax his patients. To see how easy sedation dentistry can be call our office at 713-941-8261. We are located at 3421 Burke Rd, Ste A, Pasadena, Texas 77504.