New Methods For Beating Dental Anxiety
Author: Dallas Dougan
Millions of individuals experience severe anxiety in the time leading up to and during a dental appointment. From a psychological perspective, this is unsurprising. Traditional dental techniques causes a great deal of pain and uncertainty. We are placed in an unfamiliar environment and made to submit to procedures that are often disconcertingly loud, very painful, and sometimes nauseating. Our brains naturally associate the dentist's office with these sensations, and that association is strengthened with each visit.
Some people have managed their dental anxiety by asking their dentists for a sedative to take before each appointment. While sedative medications such as valium or xanex can be highly effective in the short-term management of dental anxiety, they do not eliminate all of the discomfort that you may experience during a visit to the dentist's office. Furthermore, they create a reliance upon an external means of anxiety reduction. This fosters a feeling of helplessness that can actually increase the overall experience of dread that surrounds the dental experience. Still, if you go to the dentist infrequently, anxiolytic medications are a viable option.
Psychological treatments have also been effective in reducing dental anxiety. Cognitive-behavioral skills training can help you to reduce the anxiety leading up to a dental appointment. It can also help to increase pain tolerance and decrease symptoms of panic during your actual examination and treatment. However, because this type of treatment generally takes multiple sessions over a period of weeks or months, it is a fairly large commitment for any but the most severe dental anxiety. Also, it may become necessary to go in for "tune up" sessions with your psychotherapist later on as your anxiety begins to return.
A final way to reduce dental anxiety is to simply reduce the cause of the anxiety. No, I'm not suggesting that you stop seeing the dentist. New types of dental treatments can nearly eliminate the pain and discomfort which bring about dental anxiety. These new techniques use laser technology to detect tiny cavities before they become visible or painful. The lasers can also be used to eliminate the bacteria and damaged tissue without the heat, noise, or pain of traditional drilling.
The fillings required for laser-drilled cavities are much smaller than they would be if created using traditional methods. They are also created in a way that is more gentle and sterile than drilling, and so they are less likely to require root canals in the future. Although laser dentistry is currently somewhat more expensive that traditional treatment, it can be expected to become much more affordable in coming years and to eventually replace traditional methods entirely.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/new-methods-for-beating-dental-anxiety-471705.html
About the Author
Dallas writes about Tampa laser dentistry and helps connect people with a Tampa Bay Dentist who can brighten their smiles.
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So I just took a valium…what can I expect??
I have terrible dental anxiety and I am trying valium for the first time. What can I expect?
To feel really good in a about 30 minutes!
Jenn
Valium to help relax? Do I need monitored?
I asked this an hour ago but no one answered it and now the question is off the main page. I hope someone can help me –
I have major dental anxiety which is mainly due to the fact that I can’t get numb. It take about 8-10 shots usually to get me numb.
My dentist has worked with me over the years and in the past few visits he had given me sleeping pills which helped plus last time he gave me anxiety pills which didn’t help. But each time he said he had to monitor me by having me hooked up to a pulse machine. (on my finger I think)
The fact I was monitored made the visit cost a lot more. We had to pay $300 extra just to be monitored.
I have some how broken a tooth and dreading getting it fixed. I’m a nervous mess and scared. I see the dentist today at 3pm.
We can not afford to have me monitored each visit. It costs way too much. I have spoken to others online and plus my mom who said they were just given Valium and the only extra they had to pay was just their pharmacy bill.
How true is this? I plan to talk it over with my dentist and hope this will work for me and make the price cost less PLUS help me get through the fear.
Is it safe to take both ativan, and valium prior to a dental visit for filling a cavity?
I have pretty serious anxiety. I tried having my cavity filled a few weeks ago, but when they injected me with Novocaine I had an anxiety attack and had to stop the procedure (probably due to epinephrine).
My dentist wants me to come tomorrow taking 10mg of valium 1 hour prior to the visit. Honestly, I don’t think this is enough to keep my anxiety under control.
My psychiatrist recommended that I take 15mg of valium, and I have a prescription with him to take ativan as needed. If I find that the 15mg of valium is not enough, is it safe to take ativan?
should be fine. if i were you i’d throw in an extra 1mg of ativan/lorazepam. 15 mg of diazepam/valium is equivalent to 0.75 mg of ativan if I remember correctly, which could be enough depending on how much you are already taking. ativan acts so fast though you could probably just take some to the dentist’s office and use it in the waiting room if you’re getting really uptight.
also there are dentists out there that use full anesthesia if the dentist, specifically, causes extra anxiety. good luck, hang in there. it took me a couple years to stop taking those kind of pills but they did help.
How well does Valium work on anxiety at a dental visit?
I’m going to get some cavities filled in 2 weeks. Because of my SEVERE fear of the dentist and needles, they prescribed 20mg of Valium one hour before the appointment. I’ve never taken it before. How well does it work to ease anxiety? And does it really have an effect on your pain tolerance like I’ve read? Anyone have any experience with it being used in this capacity?
watch this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjPcb3eMS6s Jack will help you with stress adn anxiety
is klonopin or valuim stronger?
having dental work done which gives me anxiety. Is klonopin or valium stronger. I have major dental anxiety
Valium. All the way. Assuming the dosage is equivalent.