Reference/Features

Using conscious sedation for dental anxiety

6 mins read Dental phobia/anxiety
Dental fear and phobia represent a major barrier to dental care. Dental nurses need to know how to address this common phobia. One successful strategy for treating dental anxiety, according to Carole Boyle and David Craig, is the use of conscious sedation techniques

Dental anxiety is one of several factors related to whether or not people attend dental care.

Many patients find dental treatment stressful. Reactions range from ‘normal’ fear, through various degrees of anxiety to phobia. Dental anxiety involves feelings of dread and apprehension and is a vague, unpleasant feeling that something unpleasant is going to happen. Phobia is more extreme and relates to a specific fear that is excessive or unreasonable. For example, a person with a dental phobia who avoids having dental care may also avoid social occasions because she doesn't want to smile with bad teeth. Her dental phobia affects her whole life.

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