Dental anxiety, or fear of the dentist, is a very real and widespread problem in the United States. Estimates suggest that some 60 percent of the population have some degree of dental anxiety. Nearly 25 percent – some 1 in 4 people – have severe enough anxiety that it causes them to miss dental appointments and needed dental care. Drs. Jung and Jelinek at Comprehensive Dental Care in Warrenton, VA provide a wide range of comfort options and dental sedation to help you have your most comfortable dental appointment ever!
How We Can Help
It takes a highly trained and caring staff to alleviate the stress and dread that accompany dental anxiety. Drs. Jung and Jelinek have more than three decades experience is providing the highest quality care to patients who are – unexpectedly – relaxed!
Our office provides a range of comfort options. You can choose from:
- Warm blankets to ward off any chill and pillows to help you settle in.
- Longer appointment as needed so you won’t feel under any time pressure.
- Headphones and music on request.
- Private patient rooms to alleviate any embarrassment.
- Step-by-step explanations of what we’re doing – or not, as you wish.
For people with mild levels of dental anxiety, these comfort options are often enough to make their appointments both tolerable and comfortable. For those who need more help, we offer three dental sedation options.
Nitrous Oxide
You might know this as “laughing gas” because it can induce a sense of giddiness (and even giggles) in some people. Nitrous oxide has been used safely in dental procedures for about a century, and it’s even approved for use in children.
You breathe in a mixture of the gas and air through a small mask. We can adjust the level of sedation so that you can feel relaxed and unconcerned during your appointment. Nitrous oxide takes effect very rapidly and wears off quickly once the flow of gas is stopped. You’ll be able to drive yourself to and from your dental appointment.
Conscious Oral Sedation
This form of sedation is pretty much what it sounds like. You take a prescribed medication at a certain time before your appointment so that you’ll arrive at our office already relaxed. You’ll need someone to drive you, because driving while sedated is a truly bad idea.
Conscious oral sedation causes a deeper level of sedation than nitrous oxide. You’ll be aware and able to respond to our questions and directions, but you’ll almost certainly feel very detached from what’s going on. It’s possible that you’ll even fall asleep during the appointment and you may not remember much of what happened.
The effects can linger afterward, so again be sure to have a driver available.
IV Sedation
If you have severe dental anxiety, or just flat don’t want to remember much about your appointment, this is the option for you! We’ll administer the sedative slowly and gently, and your dentist can adjust the level as needed. You absolutely will need someone to drive you to and from your dental appointment.
Don’t Let Dental Anxiety Keep You From Getting Care
We invite you to discover just how relaxed and comfortable a dental appointment can be. We’ll be happy to answer any questions or address any concerns you might have before or during your appointment. Call our Warrenton, VA dental office today at 540-253-1377 to schedule your most relaxed dental appointment ever!