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Dental treatment for anxious patients Can I cope with an “injection in the gum”? Many people feel anxious at the thought of having an injection in the mouth for dental treatment. Often, this anxiety is as a result of a bad experience in the past. Making things numb is important so that we can treat you as comfortably as possible. At Smile, we use a special anaesthetic cream (available in a choice of flavours!) that helps to numb the gum before the injection which we give with the finest needles. We warm the anaesthetic and ensure that it is given nice and slowly. Often, you will not even know that you have had an injection! What if I need more than gentle injection technique? General anaesthesia is now confined to the safety of the hospital environment but can be arranged as a last resort for treatment of small children and adults for whom no other option is suitable. To replace general anaesthesia in practice, we can now offer a range of safer modern alternatives. This varies from planning to your treatment to proceed at your pace with some tender loving care, right through to sedation by a tablet, happy air or sedative injection in the hand or arm. What is the sedative tablet? The tablet is a relative of Valium called Temazepam. It can be taken the night before your appointment to help you sleep or several hours before your visit to make you feel sleepy and relaxed and less aware of your surroundings. The effect of the tablet does vary between individual people. It is a good option for light sedation for minor procedures. What is “happy air”? This is a mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide gas, the kind that they give to women having a baby. It is excellent for treating children as well as adults who need light sedation. You breathe it in through a small mask that fits on your nose. The level of sedation can be adjusted to suit you. One advantage of this sedation is that you can drive home or return to work immediately after your appointment. What is the sedative injection? The sedative used is a relative of the sedative tablet temazepam. It is called Midazolam. It is given to you by an injection in the arm or hand. It is the most predictable form of sedation. The level of sedation can be carefully adjusted to be just right for you, from lightly sedated to deeply sedated.. One of the benefits of this drug is that most patients remember little or nothing about the dental treatment after it is given. It does not affect any part of your memory beforehand. This is most suitable for long procedures, or very anxious patients who wish to remember little or nothing about their appointment.
The dentist must check your general health and it is important that you tell them about any medicines that you are taking from your doctor or pharmacist. They will ask you to complete a medical questionnaire. They will take your blood pressure and record your heart rate. For sedation with the tablet or injection, you must have someone to accompany you to your appointment who can drive you home and look after you for the rest of the day. You will be unable to drive, return to work or be responsible for children until the following day. The dentist will explain the details of the treatment that you need. If you wish to proceed, you must sign a consent form. If you would like more information on a particular type of sedation, please ask at reception for a more detailed leaflet. One of our team would be happy to answer any questions that you may have. |
 the gentle dental centre |