It is estimated that between 10 and 15 percent of the population experience anxiety when they have to go to the dentist, which can lead them to cancel or postpone their appointment with the specialist and has negative effects on their oral and dental health.
This fear usually originates from traumatic experiences.
People who suffer from fear of the dentist recognize that the origin of this apprehension lies in childhood and adolescence as a consequence of a dramatic experience.
However, there are also cases of people who admit to having felt relaxed for a certain period of time and then developed the fear during the course of treatment, and there are even cases of people who suffer from the phobia without ever having been to the dentist’s office.
In our current experience, most of the people who visit us have a fear of the dentist because of previous experiences that have been traumatic, not only because of pain but also because of the personal treatment.
It should also be kept in mind that each patient has a different perception of pain, and what may be an innocuous procedure for some may be extraordinarily uncomfortable for others.
The pain or discomfort may be rooted in the mind and even if it is totally anesthetized, the perception of that “pain” is felt in a vivid and complete way.
In the very young, it is important to create a family environment in which regular dental visits and a positive attitude towards dental care are encouraged to prevent dental phobia from developing in the very young.
Alternative treatments
Sedation is a quick and painless alternative that causes total numbness (intravenous sedation), safe and controlled for as long as needed.
A conscious gaseous sedation can also be performed, which produces a feeling of well-being and relaxation with willingness and cooperation, being awake during the session and relaxed.
With a single visit, 90% of the treatment can be completed.
Complex treatments that require several visits can be completed in a single session with Intravenous Sedation because the patient lives this experience without realizing it and when waking up the treatment is completed.
The experience is only 15-20 minutes even if 2 hours have passed.
Gaseous sedation is used to relax and be comfortable in each session and has no subsequent consequences since it ceases to have effect within minutes of being applied.