Tag: oral sedation dentistry

Fear has no boundaries affecting all types of people. There are no sex, economic, or race discrimination guidelines. Research shows at least 30% or our population avoids going to the dentist due to fear. Our personal estimate is closer to 50% where anxiety is the culprit for avoiding needed care. With such a large segment of the population needing care but too afraid to seek us out, it is easy to see why a safe, non-judgmental, pain-free experience would be a welcome change for the anxiety-stricken patient.

Oral Conscious Sedation (OCS) meets that incredible need. The Dentists who have made a commitment to learn the advanced technical skills required to practice OCS provide a solution for those needing this service putting them into a state of “twilight sleep” without rendering them actually unconscious. To be totally successful a dentist must learn more than just the technical skills. The certified OCS dentist must understand the emotional state as well. This involves understanding the state of a high-fear patient. This requires the dentist to actively listen to those who have avoided dentistry for years because of intense, realistic, palm-sweating, sick-to-the-stomach, eye-popping, and sleep depriving fear.

It is a well-known fact that many people are often afraid to tell anyone about their fear, so they feel isolated. As dentists, we must be their “rock” in these situations and let them know that we understand their fear and that is okay for them to feel the way the do. Using compassion and our expertise we are able to take their fear seriously, they are not being silly, and we care about their emotional needs as well as their dental needs.

If the patient fears one dental visit to the dentist, imagine their frustration when they find out that they have not attended to their dental health over many years because of their fear, and that they may have to have numerous appointments, over many months, to complete their care. This is always received as discouraging news and often becomes the deciding factor in not having their dentistry done.

“Is there a way, with sedation, that our patients could have their treatment accomplished in minimal visits, with no pain and little memory of this experience?” “Would this be encouraging?”

As certified in OCS we can provide this kind of treatment in a comfortable and caring way which will improve your patient’s health and self-esteem while at the same time improving the individual’s view of your professional competency.