Dentophobia, or odontophobia, is the fear of dentists and dental procedures, and it is not an uncommon phobia. Here at CK Dental, we want our patients to feel completely at ease when undergoing treatment at our Bristol dental clinic. For most people the use of local anaesthesia, to numb any pain caused by dental treatments, is enough to make them comfortable, but for those who are severely upset by the thought of undergoing dental work we offer conscious sedation.
What is ‘conscious sedation’?
Also known as ‘twilight sedation’, this is a state of deep relaxation in which the patient is responsive to speech and command, but will tolerate procedures which otherwise might have been too uncomfortable, either physically or due to fear.
At CK Dental in Bristol, we use a consultant anaesthetist, Dr Claudia Paoloni, to perform our conscious sedation, ensuring you are in the very best hands to further put you at ease. The medication can be administered either orally – as a pill – or through an IV drip, which Dr Paoloni will personally supervise.
Will this mean an overnight stay?
No. Conscious sedation has a very quick recovery time and most people are able to return home almost immediately after treatment, although we do recommend that you bring a close friend or family member to accompany you.
Some patients are worried that being awake during the procedure will cause them to be even more afraid in future, however one major benefit of conscious sedation is that although you are ‘conscious’ in the medical sense, you are not fully awake and most people do not remember the procedure clearly.
For more information on conscious sedation and the methods used at our Bristol dentistry clinic, please click here.