For some people, a visit to the dentist causes so much anxiety you might avoid a dental visit for months or even years. Dental anxiety is quite common with people of all ages, yet getting your teeth examined, cleaned, and repaired is vital if you want to have healthy teeth. Fortunately, most dentists offer sedation dentistry options to help ease fears of those who struggle with this problem, and giving you a prescription for a pill is often a great place to start.
What types of pills do dentists give?
Dentists will often prescribe pills to patients that have dental fears, and the pills are usually some type of anti-anxiety pill. The most common type of pill prescribed for this purpose is one that is a benzodiazepine. Benzodiazepine pills are designed to calm a person's nerves, and there are many different brands of types of pills that fit into this category. An example of one is Valium.
How do these pills work?
People who have anxiety issues will often take these types of pills daily to calm their nerves, but for dental work you will probably need just one pill. These pills work by blocking certain types of activity to the brain, and the main type is fear. When you take a pill like this, your brain will not respond to fear like it usually does. It will simply ignore these feelings, because it will not be getting the transmissions of fear like it usually does.
What should you know about these pills?
Most dentists will recommend taking a pill one hour before your scheduled appointment. Because of the nature of these pills, you should not drive after you take the pill. You will need to find someone to take you to the appointment and back home afterwards. Within a few hours, you should be able to drive, because the effects of the pill will wear off.
You should also realize that taking a pill is not the only form of sedation your dentist may offer. When you arrive at your appointment, the dentist can offer other forms too, including nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide is a commonly used gas at dental clinics, and it too is capable of calming your nerves. While a pill might be enough for you, there is also a chance you will need a second form of sedation as well.
If you have questions about an upcoming visit to your dentist, contact the clinic. They might be able to help you calm your fears by offering sedation options to you.
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