A Teenager's Guide to Braces

Sedation dentistry is often a highly effective way to make sure that you get through dental procedures if you happen to have a lot of anxiety about them. This type of dentistry means that you're put under during procedures. The important thing is to avoid certain mistakes when it comes to sedation dentistry. Here are some common mistakes people make, including what you can do to correct them.

Not Bringing a Friend

One of the things that commonly happens after you finish a day of sedation dentistry is that you end up feeling really exhausted from the anesthesia and the rigors of the procedure. This means that it's not exactly a great idea to try driving after the fact. Plus, a friend or family member can just go a long way in helping you get through the whole thing. Many people get nervous about going under anesthesia.

Procrastinating Too Much with "All or Nothing" Thinking

One common mistake people make when approaching sedation dentistry appointments is thinking that they have to find a dentist and schedule everything all at once. This tends to mean that they think that if they can't do it right now, then it would be bad. This leads to panicking, which leads to putting things off, and that can have a negative effect on the person's teeth.

This is unnecessary, however. It's completely possible to do a bit at a time in order to ease yourself into the process without it overwhelming you. You can call the dentist first just to see what they're like, if you wish. Then you can make a different call to get an appointment separately.

Failing to Make a Plan for the Office

It definitely helps to find some way to occupy your mind while you're in the office waiting for consultations and procedures. For example, you could plan to bring a book, headphones, or anything else to distract you. If you leave your mind unoccupied, you're far more likely to consider bolting from nervousness.

Not Talking to the Dentist

You can often feel much better about procedures in general if you ask the dentist a lot of specific questions. This is especially the case if this is the first time that you've been through the sedation-dentistry procedure. Sedation dentistry is still considered a bit non-traditional, so you might want to know specific details about how the dentist is going to proceed.