Fear of pain is the main reason people avoid seeing the dentist.
The good news is that there is a wide array of medicines and
techniques -used alone or in combination -that can
reduce or eliminate pain and control anxiety during most
procedures.
Medicines and other applied, direct techniques
Topical anesthetics -Topical anesthetics, applied
with a swab, are routinely used to numb the area in the mouth or
gums where the dental work will be done. The topical anesthetic is
given prior to injection with a local anesthetic, such as
Lidocaine.
Lasers -Some dentists are now using lasers to
remove decay within a tooth and prepare the surrounding enamel for
receipt of the filling. Lasers might cause less pain in some
instances and result in a reduced need for anesthesia.
Electronically delivered anesthesia (also called
transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation [TENS]) -This is
an alternative to the dreaded shot of anesthesia. Adhesive pads are
placed on the face, and a battery-powered device sends electrical
impulses to the treatment area to numb it. The patient controls the
level of stimulation through a hand-held unit. Another form of
electronically delivered anesthesia is called cranial
electrotherapy stimulation. During this technique, electricity is
passed into the brain, which causes relaxation. Again, the patient
controls the intensity of the current, increasing or decreasing it
to control the pain as needed. Advantages of these approaches are
that as soon as the device is switched off, the effect is instantly
reversed. The patient is able to drive and resume normal activities
immediately following the dental visit.
Nitrous oxide (also called laughing gas) -This
gas, which is inhaled by the patient through a rubber face mask,
helps people feel relaxed and is one of the most common forms of
sedation used in the dental office. Effects wear off quickly after
the gas is turned off. This is the only form of sedation under
which patients can drive after the procedure and can eat food
within a 12-hour period of the procedure. With IV, oral and general
anesthesia, the patient cannot drive following the procedure or eat
after midnight the night before the procedure.
Intravenous sedation -This form of pain and
anxiety control involves injecting a sedative into a vein of a
patient's arm or hand. This approach is usually reserved for
patients undergoing extensive dental procedures or for the
extremely anxious patient. Dentists need to monitor the oxygen
level of patients receiving IV sedation and might need to give such
patients additional oxygen during the procedure. With IV sedation,
the patient is awake but very relaxed. If you think you might be
interested in IV sedation, ask your dentist if he or she is
licensed to administer intravenous sedatives.