Dental Anxiety May Be Costing You
Do you put off dental work for fear of pain? Are your dental issues worsening because you are fearful of going to the dentist?
Would you rather endure the agony of a toothache than step foot in a dentist’s office? Do you skip routine dental appointments or ignore dental pain because of fear or anxiety?
Don’t let anxiety steal your dental health or prevent you from having the smile of your dreams!
Overcome Your Fear
In Three Easy Steps
Meet Dr. Jerry Yu
I come from a family of dentists, yet I didn’t have the best of teeth and went through a fair share of problems and procedures. Since then, I have tried to make getting dental care comfortable, simple, and as gentle as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you struggle with dental phobia, a visit to the dentist’s office can be quite overwhelming. Those who are particularly anxious about the dentist tend to avoid the care they need, and their oral health can suffer. We have created an atmosphere where you can feel entirely comfortable. To put your mind at ease, our team provides a full range of sedation dentistry options. You can choose from laughing gas, oral sedation and intravenous (IV) sedation.
Anxiety about going to the dentist is a prevalent problem. It is believed that just in the United States, some 40 million people actively avoid the dentist because of anxiety.
Although there are a variety of reasons for this fear, including previous bad experiences and sensitive teeth, avoiding the dentist can lead to long-term problems for your teeth and also your daily life.
Ignoring a symptom such as bleeding gums or a painful tooth might mean overlooking periodontal disease. Left untreated this can result in tooth loss as well as jawbone atrophy.
Missing or problematic teeth can make patients feel self-conscious enough to avoid family functions or photos, and also make speaking and eating more of a challenge.
We offer sedation dentistry to allow you to have the dental treatment you need comfortably. These medications will be given before or during the appointment to relax you.
Sedation can be minimal, where you are awake but relaxed, moderate, where you might slur your words and not remember the procedure, deep, where you are almost unconscious, or general, where you are unconscious.
There are a number of different sedation dentistry options to choose from, including the following:
Oral Sedation
This medication is usually taken an hour or so before the treatment, or even the night prior. Patients stay conscious but won’t have any memory of their visit. It is important to have a friend or loved one to bring you to your appointment and drive you home, since oral sedation can impair the ability to drive safely.
Laughing Gas
Laughing gas is given through a mask worn over the nose. The patient will stay awake but feel relaxed. The effects of laughing gas wear off straight away so it is safe to drive yourself to and from the procedure.
IV Sedation
IV sedation is given intravenously and this option gives a deep, fast-acting level of sedation. This option is best for patients undergoing extensive procedures or those who are especially anxious. Those having IV sedation must not drive themselves home after their procedure.
If a patient chooses to have sedation dentistry, it is usually possible to perform several procedures in one appointment. Having to make fewer visits can also save you time and money.
Sedation dentistry is recommended for a number of dental patients, including those who:
- Have sensitive teeth
- Need a lot of dental work
- Have a low pain threshold
- Have a bad gag reflex
- Are unable to sit still for extended periods
Sedation dentistry is not right for everyone though. Those suffering from obesity, snoring, sleep apnea or a condition that interferes with breathing typically won’t qualify.
There are other ways to stay comfortable during the visit though, which your dentist can advise you about during your consultation.
Do you have dental insurance? We accept most dental insurance plans.
These are some major PPO insurance plans we accept, for a full list please contact our office or check with your employer’s human resources department.
