There are millions of people in the United States who have avoided going to the dentist for years and even decades. The mere thought of going to the dentist creates a great deal of anxiety in some patients, and some people are so afraid of going to a dentist that they simply never go, which only causes their dental problems to get worse over time.

If you are afraid of the dentist, there is a new form of cosmetic dentistry that has made going to the dentist a much more tolerable experience for the millions of people who have avoided the dentist their whole lives. Sedation dentistry just may be the answer you've been looking for to alleviate the fear and anxiety you experience just thinking about sitting in your dentist' chair.

Who May Benefit from Sedation Dentistry?

· Patients who fear needles

· Patients who have difficulty becoming numb after Novocaine

· Patients requiring multiple dental procedures

· Patients have had bad past experiences at the dentist

· Patients have a strong gag reflex

How are Patients Sedated?

Dentists can use a number of medications to sedate their patients, and many patients assume sedations dentistry means they will be asleep during the procedure. That is usually not the case. Some the most commonly used drugs to sedate dental patients are triazolam, diazepam, lorazepam, zaleoplon, and hydroxyzine.

These medications have been proven to be safe and effective. Since all of these drugs work in different ways and last for different amounts of time, your cosmetic dentist will discuss the differences with you and decide which drug is most appropriate for the dental work you are having done that day.

Some of these drugs will make the patient drowsy enough that he will sleep through the procedure. Sometimes the sedative/analgesic is given in pill form and sometimes it is administered intravenously. For obvious reasons, being sedated before their dental procedures require that someone drive them home from the dentist's office.

Sedation dentistry is not for everyone, but for those who have been avoiding getting their teeth fixed due to fear of the dentist, sedation dentistry is the solution they've been looking for.