Dental anxiety affects millions of patients causing them to neglect routine and major treatment alike. Sedation dentistry can help you achieve more in a single visit.
It isn’t uncommon for people to be afraid to visit the dentist’s office. It doesn’t matter if the patient is a child or an adult, anxiety can often be a barrier for needed dental work to be done, and the more serious the procedure — like dental implants — the higher the anxiety can be.
Our office believes in helping our patients defeat their anxieties by giving them all the information they need about upcoming procedures. By being thorough in our explanations, patients are usually able to overcome their fear and ease their concerns.
Patients who are considering dental implants often have many questions. We specialize in dental implant surgery, using cutting-edge techniques and technology for replacing missing or lost teeth. Such implants are proven to have a very high success rate, which compares favorably to other tooth replacement procedures like dentures or bridgework. Dr. McCormick has performed many implant treatments, and personally also has a high success rate in dental implant surgery.
If you and Dr. McCormick decide dental implants are the right treatment for your missing teeth, he will develop an individualized treatment plan customized to your dental needs, and will talk with you in detail about how the procedure will go, what to expect, and answer any questions you may have. It’s important to be comfortable with the surgery and informed about the process you’ll go through.
Common Causes of Dental Anxiety
From concerns about appearance, to the idea of pain, and even to patient embarrassment about the current condition of their teeth, we completely understand why some patients experience anxiety about dental procedures.
For those who are worried about the process of getting permanent dental implants, we have a pretty easy solution: temporary replacement teeth, or even a temporary denture in the case of several missing teeth. Temporary tooth replacements are hard to distinguish from natural teeth, and patients can even eat with them in place. We create artificial teeth in our office with leading-edge CEREC technology, which allows us to give you beautiful teeth that match your own perfectly.
Some patients are embarrassed about the state their teeth have ended up in, which is likely the reason they are now in need of implants. But don’t worry! None of the team at Dr. McCormick’s office will judge you, because we’re here to help you achieve that perfect smile, get your oral health back on track, and help you take care of your teeth. We can help you stop being embarrassed by your smile, and get you on the way to a bright, new smile with beautiful new teeth.
Sedation Dentistry for Anxiety
The largest concern we typically come across is the amount of pain patients worry about experiencing. We can assure each patient that they will have a pain-free procedure, and any discomfort after the procedure can be treated with medication. We use the latest techniques for pain management and keep your comfort in mind throughout each visit. And if patients are still overly concerned with pain, we also offer sedation dentistry that will help with relaxation, calm anxiety and fear, and increase the ability to be receptive to directions while in the dentist’s chair.
While local anesthesia is always part of dental restoration work — we never want our patients to experience any pain in the dentist’s chair — we also use a variety of sedation dentistry techniques. Laughing gas is one option that allows the patient to relax, yet stay awake during the procedure. Hypnosis is another approach that helps many patients conquer anxieties about dental work, and we can work with you to incorporate it into your treatment. Sedation can also be done with oral or IV medications, depending on the procedure and the patient. Whatever the individual situation may be, there are options for a pain-free, anxiety-free dental visit.
Our mission is to always leave the patient with a positive dental experience, from start to finish, and to give them a safe, comfortable place for all of the procedures that are part of dental implant treatment.
Implant Success
Patients are often concerned about the success rate of dental implants, and it is easy to see why. Dental implants can be costly, and the process is time consuming. With those factors in mind, patients naturally want to be able to expect a successful outcome.
However, dental implants are over 95 percent successful, which is one of the highest success rates of any dental procedure, even those that fall into the categories of cosmetic dentistry or aesthetic dentistry.
Patients who are at risk for an unsuccessful implant typically are heavy tobacco users, or have other health conditions that have a negative impact on the body’s ability to heal and accept implants. We will discuss any case in which your medical history could prevent you from having oral surgery or tooth replacement, but rest assured, those cases are very rare. We do recommend that if you are a smoker or tobacco user, you should quit before having dental implants, to help increase the likelihood of success.
For those who are worried about the cost of dental implants, we do offer a program through CareCredit to help with the expenses, especially for those without dental insurance. For patients with insurance, our office will work with your dental plan to help make sure all possible aspects of the procedure are covered.
Contact our office today
If you believe you are in need of dental implants, or if you would like an examination and consultation, we encourage you to reach out to the office of Dr. Andrew McCormick. Dr. McCormick is ready to discuss procedures with you, to talk about your potential concerns and anxieties, and to help assuage your fears. We want you to get the care you need, to be a source of comfort and accommodation for those experiencing anxiety, and we want to help you have the best dental experience possible.
