Dental anxiety is actually one of the top reasons that St. Louis patients avoid the dentist. Whether it was a previous bad experience or anxiety in general, it tends to prevent patients from getting the dental care that they need, especially dental implants for missing teeth. But by trusting in the sedation dentistry skills of our trained dentists, you can get the care you need quicker and easier.
Why Oral Health Is Important!
Your oral health is so much more than just brushing and flossing every day. It’s why we encourage patients to visit their dentist on a regular basis, but sometimes the anxiety is too much. Here are a few reasons why visiting the dentist is just as vital as your at-home care:
- Tooth Decay and Gum Disease: Also known as cavities, tooth decay is one of the most common diseases in the world. It can deteriorate your teeth to a point where it damages the sensitive pulp center of your tooth. With gum disease, these bacteria infect the tender gum tissues, causing redness, bleeding, and recession. When you visit the dentist regularly, they can keep an eye out for warning signs of these diseases, and divert you towards treatment. When you refuse to go to the dentist, you run the risk of allowing these diseases to grow and fester.
- Oral Cancer Screenings: It’s becoming the standard for dentists to be on the lookout for signs of oral cancer. These can appear as harmless-looking lesions, discolored spots, or bumps in your oral tissues. In reality, they are much more sinister and can continue to grow, if left untreated. When you visit the dentist regularly, they’ll check you for these warning signs and take further steps, if needed.
- A Perfect Bite: Having crooked or misaligned teeth can be a challenge when you’re young, but it can be even more of a challenge as you age. Without correcting these mistakes, especially when you start losing teeth, it can throw off the balance of pressure when you bite down or chew food. But the right dentist can put you back on track with proper treatments like orthodontics or dental implants to restore your smile.
- Confident Appearance: Overall, a smile weighs a lot on a first impression! Studies have shown that one of the traits people remember about a stranger is how they smiled. In this case, it’s natural to want a smile that reflects the beautiful you. A skilled cosmetic dentist such as Dr. Brace can provide the surface treatments you need to make your smile more dazzling.
When you avoid the dentist due to your anxiety, you miss out on some valuable care. They say the mouth is the gateway to the body, so it’s important that you take care of it. But some conditions, like a missing tooth or two, can’t be treated from home.
What’s The Deal With Dental Implants?
As a premier implant practice in St. Louis, we know all the ins and outs and benefits of dental implants. We also understand how they can change patients’ lives, and we’ve seen it too!
Dental implants are individual artificial teeth that are constructed from a combination of titanium materials and a porcelain crown. They are placed directly into the jawbone, where your missing tooth once was, and undergo a procedure known as osseointegration. Completely unique to implants, osseointegration is when the titanium material triggers the surrounding bone to weave around the implant. This keeps the implant permanently in place, and can even be modified to support a full denture, if need be. They are essentially permanent teeth,and as natural-feeling as any of your other teeth.
But while we could go on and on about dental implants, there’s still the elephant in the room about a patient’s dental anxiety. How can a patient enjoy dental implants, if it takes all their strength just to get through our office door?
Trust Sedation Dentistry With Our Team
The secret to ridding your dental anxiety lies with sedation dentistry. It’s a specific field dedicated to eradicating pain, sensitivity, or anxiety during a dental treatment. Oftentimes, dentists use a variety of options such as intravenous sedation or nitrous oxide. But at our practice, we swear by the effectiveness of oral conscious sedation.
Whether it’s been 5 years or 20 since you last visited the dentist, we strongly believe that oral conscious sedation is the solution to your anxiety. Here’s how it works: a short time before your appointment, you take a pill. After having a friend or family member transport you to our office, you’ll feel nothing but relaxation and tranquility from the moment you walk through our door. The effects last throughout the duration of your treatment, and you come out the other side with a completed treatment and beautiful smile, free of anxiety.
Dr. Grayem and Dr. Bialecki are our resident dentists who have undergone the necessary training to administer oral conscious sedation. It has given us and our patients the freedom to perform necessary, health-saving treatments quickly, and calmly. In addition, our doctors are a part of the 1% of dentists in the nation who are qualified to administer this sedation.
“Can I Use Oral Conscious Sedation With My Implant Treatment?”
Of course! The same treatment goes for patients who are interested in dental implants. If you are missing one or more teeth, but are prevented from seeking treatment due to your anxiety, then contact us today about oral conscious sedation.
Dental implants are a one-time, healthy investment that can last for many years or even a lifetime. And with the help of sedation dentistry, you can complete each step of the implant process calm and relaxed. We’ll ensure that you feel no pain and have little to no memory of the procedure. All you’ll have to worry about is how you look with your new beautiful implant.
Contact Us For Calming Oral Health Care
If your smile is deteriorating from lack of dental visits and a gripping dental anxiety, we want to help! Contact the St. Louis County Dental Partnership and let us know about your anxiety. We’ll approach your treatment from a more conscious angle, giving you the option for oral conscious sedation. Let us know how we can help you today.