Few people eagerly await their turn in the dentist’s chair. However, severe anxiety gets in the way of millions of Americans by keeping them from searching for the right preventative care. The outcomes of this problem may reach outside the scope of dental pain or lost teeth.

Why Do Some People Fear Dentists?

People face anxiety during dental visits for various reasons:

• Fear of painful sensations.
• Negative recollection of past traumatic experiences
• Fear of needles or injections going into their gums.
• Fear of drilling tools or its sound and vibrations.
• Embarrassment about hapless dental hygiene or poor breath.
• Fear of sedation.
• Feeling of helplessness or confinement in the dental chair.

What Is Dental Anxiety?

Dental anxiety has been referred to by several interchangeable names including dental phobia, dental fear, and in literature, odontophobia or dentophobia.

People undergoing anxiety experience enhanced stress and uneasiness while visiting the dentist, and are consequently unwilling to see the dentist.

How Common Is Dental Anxiety?

If the thought of meeting a dentist puts you on edge, you surely aren’t alone.

• Actually, almost 40 million Americans avoid dental visits because of anxiety or fear, as reported by the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine.
• The American Association of Endodontists discovered in a survey that 80 percent of American adults fear dentists.
• More dental fear is reported in cases of women and children than in men.

What Are the Effects of Dental Anxiety?

The more you postpone or simply refuse dental visits, the more likely you risk acquiring dental problems that can make your future dental visits a lot more challenging.

Avoiding the dentist can lead to deterioration from dental disease, a greater necessity for emergency care, or complicated treatment. It can also be promoting the underlying issue of dental anxiety. This is called the ‘vicious series of dental anxiety’.

Most dental illness is lifestyle-related and avoidable. By avoiding dental visits, not only are you potentially going to require more complex treatments upon your visit eventually, but you are also lacking in gaining information on better oral health care.

How We Assess Dental Anxiety

At Bonaventure Dental Care, we believe you should get the best possible dental care, and that implies ensuring you feel settled and in control at each level of your treatment.

Ahead of your treatment, our dentist will communicate with you suitably to discover the reason for any concerns, so as to relax your mind. We will discuss all of your treatment steps with you, so that you are aware of what to anticipate and when. You don’t need to worry because our team is skilled at detecting and aiding anxious patients, and are accommodating to move at a pace that’s comfortable for you.

How We Care for Patients with Dental Anxiety

Regardless of the cause for your dental anxiety, at Bonaventure Dental Care, our compassionate dental team will take good care of your dental and emotional health. We strive to offer superior care to our patients while discovering methods to help them relax during any treatment process and encourage them to seek their necessary dental care in the future.

Sedation Options

IV DENTAL SEDATION

Our Baton Rouge Dentists Justin Bonaventure and DDS, Dr. Austin Safford always actively listen to their patient’s concerns. This helps Dr. Justin Bonaventure and his team determine the best dental anxiety solutions that will get patients to actually look forward to a dental visit.

For some patients, there isn’t any getting over the intense fear they have of the dentist. In these cases, we recommend IV Dental Sedation.

Anxiety is a real part of dental care, and we understand it completely. We’ll always do everything we can to make your care a stress-free and positive experience. If you’re ready to give our no-anxiety approach to sedation dentistry a try, don’t wait – call  today! You can also schedule an appointment using our online form. We can’t wait to see you!

“I used to get so nervous going to the dentist, but once I started visiting Dr. Bonaventure I’m at ease and I no longer feel so anxious. His staff is truly awesome! Call Kaitlyn and she will get you on the schedule” 

If you would like to know more about this treatment please call our friendly team on 225 753 0123 to discover more.