Fear Not: We’ll Help Make Your Dental Visit a Confident One

Dentophobia, also known as odontophobia, is a fear of dentists that’s more common than you may think.  Despite the fact that we do our best to make sure our patients are feeling secure and relaxed and experiencing no discomfort, some individuals still experience severe anxiety simply at the thought of going to a dental professional.

These individuals, unfortunately, may put off necessary professional oral health care until they reach the point of no return with failing or missing teeth that negatively affects their eating ability and confidence. The resultant gum disease, according to much of today’s research, can then also be linked to other systemic disease. The situation is debilitating, but one for which we do offer some helpful solutions.

Addressing Dental Anxiety

The Cleveland Clinic estimates that about 36% of individuals in this country experience some sort of fears regarding potential dental treatment, with 12% experiencing extreme fear.

Some of these people are concerned about the needles used for local anesthesia. Others might have an extreme a fear of seeing blood of any sort, even from the kind of minor bleeding that could occur during some periodontal procedures. Additional fears include the fear of pain, of choking, of noise (dental drills) and even of the doctors themselves.

If you get severely nervous at just the prospect of visiting a dental professional, then talk to us.  We have many ways to manage this anxiety from acupuncture and various relaxation techniques to different sedation options.

Your comfort and safety are as important to us as your clinical dental outcomes from any of our treatments or procedures. It’s one of the reasons we remind patients that we offer a variety of safe anxiety management options which can help you obtain the important care you need.

Sedation Options at South Florida Center for Periodontics & Implant Dentistry

Inhaled (Nitrous Oxide) Minimal Sedation: This tried and true “laughing gas” option helps you relax. You can drive yourself home after treatment. It’s a safe and effective means of reducing dental anxieties.

Oral (Conscious Sedation): A pill taken prior to treatment will make you very drowsy. Some people will become so relaxed that they fall asleep during treatment!

IV (Intravenous) Sedation: IV sedation is a method that allows us to give you medicine directly into your bloodstream to allow even the most anxious patient to relax. There are different levels of IV sedation available in our office.  If you need mild-to- moderate sedation, Doctors Norkin and Aranguren are certified to administer appropriate medications right in our office. They’ll continually monitor you to make sure you are comfortable and safe. If deeper sedation is needed (similar to a colonoscopy), our associate, Dr. Gross, a board-certified dental anesthesiologist, can provide it in our office. Like Doctors Norkin and Aranguren, Dr. Gross will continually monitor your vital signs. We are one of a handful of practices in this area that offer this deep sedation option.

If your situation requires treatment in a hospital setting, Dr. Ganeles has privileges at Boca Raton Regional Medical Center. We can arrange treatment there with full anesthetic support.

If you experience severe dental anxieties and have put off treatment, now’s the time to let us help you improve your health and self-esteem. For more information, please call us at 561-912-9993.