Oral Sedation: Taking Fear Out of Dentistry

add picture of smiling person with a pill.

Among the most common phobias, visiting the dentist causes many people severe anxiety and stress. Often, fearful patients forego necessary dental care to avoid a visit to the dentist. If you find yourself feeling panicky at the thought of having your teeth worked on, you should know that a safe, comfortable relaxation method exists. Oral sedation alleviates anxiety, so you can face dental appointments with confidence.

What exactly does oral sedation entail?
If you fear dental appointments, call Dr. Wagner to determine if oral sedation is available for you. If you’re a good candidate for oral sedation, Dr. Wagner will select an appropriate anti-anxiety or sedative drug for you to take at a pre-determined time before your appointment. These safe, effective, widely-prescribed drugs diminish anxiety and help patients relax.

Why choose oral sedation?
In general, patients choose oral sedation if they:

• experience severe anxiety and fear when faced with dental instruments
• put off important dental treatment because of fear
• have a sensitive gag reflex
• have trouble feeling numb after receiving local anesthetic
• cannot rest comfortably in a dentist’s exam chair due to neck or back problems

What risks and side effects are associated with oral sedation?
These medications have an incredible history of safe, effective use. Dr. Wagner will review your prescription and give you special instructions prior to your visits. Oral sedatives will allow you to snooze through most of the visit, leaving you with little to no memory of the procedure, and certainly decreasing your stress level. This allows for anesthetics to work more effectively, because when patients are relaxed, their heart rate is not elevated, and the anesthetic will work for the entire visit. Additionally, post-treatment soreness is decreased, because Dr. Wagner and his team can work more quickly and effectively when you are relaxed!

Discover the Difference
Call our Jacksonville Beach dental office today and reserve your appointment with general and cosmetic dentist Dr. Scott Wagner. Located in Jacksonville Beach, patients visit our office from across the nation, as well as the surrounding areas of Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and Ponte Vedra. Dr. Wagner is known throughout the U.S. as the dentist to visit for exceptional dentistry and life-changing smiles.