Providing you with high-quality, appropriate care and making your dental visit as comfortable as possible is a top priority at our office. Advances in dental techniques and medications can greatly reduce — even eliminate — discomfort during dental treatment. Here are some of the options available to help alleviate anxiety or pain that may be associated with dental care: 

Analgesics 

Non-narcotic analgesics are the most commonly used drugs for relief of toothache or pain following dental treatment. This category includes aspirin, acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Ibuprofen.  Narcotic analgesics, such as those containing codeine, act on the central nervous system to relieve pain. They are used for more severe pain. 

Local Anesthesia

Topical anesthetics are applied to mouth tissues with a swab to prevent pain on the surface level. We may use a topical anesthetic to numb an area in preparation for administering an injectable local anesthetic. Topical anesthetics also may be used to soothe painful mouth sores. 

Injectable local anesthetics, such as Novocain, prevent pain in a specific area of your mouth during treatment by blocking the nerves that sense or transmit pain and numbing mouth tissues. They cause the temporary numbness often referred to as a "fat lip" feeling. Injectable anesthetics may be used in such procedures as filling cavities, preparing teeth for crowns or treating gum disease.

Sedation and General Anesthesia

Anti-anxiety agents, such as nitrous oxide, or sedatives may help you relax during dental visits and often may be used along with local anesthetics. We use these agents to induce "conscious sedation," in which the patient achieves a relaxed state during treatment but can respond to speech or touch. Sedatives can be administered before, during or after dental procedures by mouth, inhalation or injection.


Understanding the range of choices that are available to relieve anxiety and discomfort makes you a well-informed dental consumer. If you have questions or concerns about your oral health care, don't hesitate to talk to us. Working together, we can choose the appropriate steps to make your dental visit as safe and comfortable as possible, and to help you keep a healthy smile!
 

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