About Painless Dentistry

Some patients become overly-anxious when visiting a dentist. If you are afraid to see the dentist it can be very beneficial to arm yourself with as much information as possible about painless dentistry. It would be impossible to say with complete accuracy that all dental treatments are completely painless. The fact of the matter is that most dental treatments are rarely painful and at worst could be described as uncomfortable. With the advancement of science and technology most dentists today have many options available to them to help eliminate pain or reduce discomfort.

I can’t tell you how many patients have told me how they wished they’d come to see me earlier, as the pain caused by a toothache, was far more severe than the eventual dentist visit itself. Once you establish a trust with your dentist, the fear of dental treatments diminishes and fear is usually eliminated or replaced with a lesser all-consuming nervous anxiety just before an upcoming visit.

A good dentist should be well aware of a patient in discomfort and should be able to stop the procedure until the patient can regroup and reset.

For many procedures requiring anaesthesia, used to numb an area to reduce or eliminate discomfort, it is possible that more is needed or that more time is required before proceeding. Not everyone reacts to anaesthesia in the same manner so there can be occasions when a procedure needs to stop in order to ensure enough freezing is in place before continuing forward.

While we’re discussing anaesthesia it is no small secret that some patients are afraid of needles. Dentists can help take the pain away from getting a needle by applying a topical anaesthetic (applied to the injection area) to greatly decrease the discomfort of an injection.

For patients who are unable to contain their fear of a dentist, Inhalation Sedation or Sedation Dentistry is always an option. Nitrous Oxide is analgesia gas which can greatly reduce fear and anxiety, relaxing the patient and can make for a less stressful visit to the dentist office. We offer Inhalation Sedation at Rogers Dentist in Red Deer.

Some procedures such as; dental extractions (teeth pulling), root canal therapy and even multiple fillings can cause discomfort and even pain after treatment. Using gentle techniques during the procedure can go a long ways toward causing discomfort long after a patient leaves a dental clinic. Of course as dentists, we can also prescribe medication for those infrequent situations where it may be required as well as suggesting effective over-the-counter medications known to help reduce swelling and pain.

If you have had a bad dental experience in the past you should know these are considered to be rare occurrences and the experience should not dictate good oral health.

Even if you feel that the bad dental visit was comparable to torture, you should be aware that most dental visits are pain free. I can’t promise that the next time you visit your dentist that it will be a completely comfortable visit but I can say your next visit will not likely be as bad as you had imagined - when you select a skilled dentist.
- Dr. Derek Rogers