Do you fear dentistry? Do you fear having dental work done? Fear is always of the known or the unknown of dentistry. The known and the unknown is always some knowledge from a time when our patients were children or as an adult. This fear is a fear that is not able to be controlled. It is heart-wrenching to know that patients experienced some time in their past, an experience in dentistry that makes them fearful. We empathize and want to be instruments to help our patients live their best lives with a healthy, beautiful smile. If you are fearing dentistry, you have options that can help you take care of yourself. As the quote states earlier, do not let fear be a factor in making decisions about your oral health.
At Family Dentistry of Frisco, we offer many sedation options. All sedation options are administered and monitored according to Sedation Guidelines. We offer nitrous oxide which is the laughing gas that makes our dental patients feel comfortable in the chair while being mainly conscious. This sedation is for patients that are not fearful. It is more for patients that want to just simply feel more comfortable and relaxed in the chair. This includes many of our patients who have fillings for cavities, dental crowns, or having a laser root canal. It is not just limited to just these procedures. It is simply for patients that want to have a smoother experience so they opt for nitrous oxide.
An example of what can be expected with nitrous oxide is very personal. Dr. Paresh B. Patel has done 2 root canals and 5 crowns for me in the last 15 years. Dr. Patel has always provided exceptional dentistry and care for my dental health, so I trust Dr. Patel and have never felt anxious about dental treatment with Dr. Patel. Every time I have had dental treatment, I have had nitrous oxide. It makes me feel completely less bothered by the treatment. Even when I had numbing done, I did not experience the same discomfort or the physical reactions that adrenaline would cause. It helped me cope with a long treatment. A treatment that lasted over two hours felt easier and comfortable. I am grateful and glad that I was offered nitrous oxide for my dental treatments.
Family Dentistry of Frisco also offers a slightly higher form than nitrous oxide, which is called the Non-IV Pill Sedation. It is also called just “pill sedation” by many people in the dental world. This form of sedation is combined with nitrous and offers a higher level of sedation than just simply having the nitrous oxide. You would take the pill medication before coming in for your dental treatment at the Family Dentistry of Frisco, and we would give you more medication while you are in the chair prior to starting your treatment. Family Dentistry of Frisco would monitor you while you are getting your treatment done.
Patients have selected the Non-IV Pill Sedation for many reasons. One reason is slight anxiety over dental treatment. Another reason could be an uncontrollable gag reflex. There was a patient who did not have anxiety but could not control her gage reflex. She initially was terrified of being at the dentist. She could not even step into a dental office without tearing up. She had to come into Family Dentistry of Frisco because she was getting cleanings, Invisalign, and cavities filled for her children. After laser root canals, implants, and crowns under IV Conscious Sedation with Dr. Patel, she finally began trusting Dr. Patel. Her trust became solid to the point where she did not need IV conscious sedation. Despite her gaining trust and not needing sedation due to her anxiety, she still had her gag reflex. She opted for Non-IV Conscious Pill Sedation. This helped her manage her uncontrollable gag reflex and have her mouth stay open long enough to finish her treatments. She was able to manage and stay comfortable while having all dental treatments, including laser root canals, crowns, and fillings.
The Non-IV Pill Sedation is not recommended for patients that want deeper sedation. This sedation would likely cause you to still be awake for most of the procedure. It is your body’s reaction to the medication you are given. Depending on your tolerance to sedation, you may or may not get your desired level of sedation. A more predictable form of sedation is the IV Conscious sedation. If you have a strong fear, we recommend our IV Conscious Sedation. During your treatment, you may fall peacefully asleep and can be woken up easily. You are able to hear Dr. Patel and dental assistants ask you to open your mouth and close your mouth. However, you will not remember a thing.
As the treatment coordinator for Family Dentistry of Frisco for the last 10 years, I would recommend IV Conscious Sedation to all patients with anxiety. It allows you to have your expectations met for your desired level of sedation. Numerous patients come to mind that have had successful dental treatments with IV Conscious Sedation. There are treatments that naturally lend themselves to IV Conscious Sedation like wisdom teeth removal, surgical extractions, and dental implants. These advanced surgical treatments require IV Conscious Sedation the same way a patient would need to have IV Sedation while undergoing medical surgery. These advanced treatments are surgical in nature and require patients to have IV Conscious Sedation.
It is not just these surgical treatments that require IV Conscious Sedation, it is also for any treatments for patients that have a fear of dentistry. One patient who is noteworthy having a true fear of dentistry got laser root canals and crowns done under IV Conscious Sedation. When she initially came into Family Dentistry of Frisco, she came from another dental office where they told her she would be ok with just Non-IV Conscious Sedation. Many dental offices tell patients that they will be ok with just Non-IV Conscious Sedation, but anxiety is very real. It is disrespecting fear and anxiety because they are true phenomenons. To believe that anxiety can merely be solved by Non-IV Conscious Sedation is truly a fallacy toward anxiety and disrespectful toward patients with true anxiety.
This patient now currently is restoring her smile and making her smile healthy again. She has had IV Conscious Sedation with her laser root canals, crowns, implants, and implant crowns. She did not experience discomfort and was able to be healthy again. She is able to be a great CPA, mother and wife because she is able to chew her food with all her teeth and smile confidently knowing that she will have a healthy mouth full of teeth in the future.
Another HR executive came to Dr. Patel when he broke his tooth. He researched Dr. Patel and knew that he is able to provide IV Conscious Sedation with dental treatment. He had a broken tooth and some missing teeth. In the past, he never got an implant because he was just too fearful of the dental chair. For him, it had to do with traumatic events in his childhood. He remembers getting dental work done as a child and it being very painful. Now, he is proud to smile without any missing or broken teeth. He is able to confidently do his job and be happy smiling at his coworkers and employees.
A final example is a patient that also has true anxiety just like the patients listed above. She is a grandmother that always puts her children and grandchildren first. She was a retired teacher and nurse and had been waiting to find the right dentist. She finally got out of discomfort and overcame her fear of getting her laser root canals and crowns. She now is able to chew her food without taking pain medications and is able to eat whatever she likes. She is able to smile confidently at her friends, children, and grandchildren. This was only possible with IV Conscious Sedation.
Dr. Paresh B. Patel has been practicing comprehensive dentistry for over 25 years. After being born and raised in the United Kingdom, he found his home in the United States. His current patients are from Frisco, Little Elm, Prosper, McKinney, the Colony, and all nearby DFW areas. He provides nitrous oxide, Non-IV Conscious Pill Sedation and IV Conscious Sedation to his patients. Whether the treatment is advanced, the patient has a gag reflex, TMJ issues, or anxiety, call Family Dentistry of Frisco to schedule a consultation with Dr. Patel so he is able to tailor the correct sedation type with your dental needs. He is able to offer sedation for all dental treatments ranging from implants, laser root canals, wisdom teeth extractions, crowns, deep cleaning, and all areas of dentistry.
Dr. Patel and the staff at Family Dentistry of Frisco welcome your questions and would love to meet you. We, at the Family Dentistry of Frisco, are proud to have been voted by our Frisco and Plano patients’ as Best Family Dentistry and Best Cosmetic Dentist. We also would like to thank peer dentists in DFW to honor Dr. Paresh B. Patel as the Best Dentist in DFW in D Magazine. We relish the honor to serve our patients.
