Many people experience some nervousness when they visit their dentist because they are afraid of pain or discomfort. This is entirely normal and the dentist is well trained to take every step to make these actions as painless as possible and put her patients’ fears at ease.
But if you find you are more than a little nervous; for example, you shake or sweat or find reasons to cancel your appointments, you may benefit from sedation. Trying to endure your appointment despite having greater anxiety could in fact sabotage your diagnosis or treatment as the dentist may begin to worry that you are unable to withstand the work she must do.
There are aspects to all dental appointments- from a simple cleaning to more significant treatments- that feel or sound unusual and as a result can seem unpleasant. If you find that you aren’t able to tolerate these issues when you’re in the chair, it’s worthwhile to discuss general anesthetic or IV sedation with your dentist prior to your appointment. The dentist needs to operate with full confidence that she’s able to do her job, which may require drilling or administering a shot of Novocain. A patient who is relaxed and comfortable helps her do her job to the fullest extent.
