If you are overwhelmed by the thought of a dentist working inside your mouth but know that something needs to be done, this post about what we at your Epping Dentist can do to assist you should be comforting.
We have various drugs to help you be more comfortable while visiting us. Some of them allow you to relax, some control pain, and some even put you into a deep sleep-like state for the duration of your dental procedure, so you are unaware of what is happening.
We gently use a local anaesthetic to block the pain nerves where we will be working and can also apply a topical anaesthetic to the area beforehand to numb the area so the needle will not be felt. We can use a topical anaesthetic to numb mouth sores, so they are not aggravated by our work. We use locals to fill cavities, prepare teeth for crowns, and treat gum disease.
Sometimes people need a post-operative painkiller. These can be either non-narcotic – the most commonly used – or narcotic. They mostly include anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen. A narcotic would act upon your brain’s pain receptors.
Your Epping Dentist can also use a sedative for your dental procedure to deal with any pain and your level of anxiety. Different levels of sedation are possible, depending on the procedure to be carried out. There is:
- Minimal sedation: where you would be awake but relaxed
- Conscious sedation: where you are in a deeper state of relaxation, still awake and breathing on your own, but likely not remember much afterwards
- Deep sedation: where you are nearly unconscious but can still be awakened
- Completely unconscious from a general anaesthetic: where you require breathing assistance.
The drugs for these are delivered by a gas you inhale, a pill you take, or an injected medicine.
You can be sure that these approaches are only undertaken after detailed consultation with and consent from you. A general anaesthetic is given and monitored by a qualified anaesthetist so your safety is assured.
If you are interested in any of these, please discuss them with us. We need to know about your health in general, your level of anxiety, and if you have any allergies. With that knowledge, your Epping Dentist can safely and sensitively decide what is best for the required the dental procedure.
To find out more, please click the in this link for an appointment with us:
