I’ve got an upcoming dental appointment where I need some work done. I have dental anxiety. I’d really rather just sleep through the procedure, but my dentist doesn’t believe in sedation dentistry. I’m too scared. Would it be okay if I just took a sleeping pill before I went?
Loriee L.
Dear Loriee,
I’m going to say up front this isn’t the best dentist for you. With your dental anxiety, you need a sedation dentist. Here are the biggest concerns.
It is possible that your regular office will be okay with you taking some type of medication (like sleeping pills) during your treatment, but if they are you should have a discussion with your doctor about it well in advance. They’ll need to make sure that you won’t have any interactions with other medications he gives you.
Another potential concern is that the medicines you’ll normally receive in a dental office aren’t intended to put you to sleep. While many patients do doze off because they’re so relaxed, that’s not their primary function. If you take a medication which totally puts you out and you can’t follow instructions or cooperate with your treatment, there could be issues.
With sedation dentistry, you’re able to respond to your dentist. On top of this, sedation dentists and his staff receive regular emergency training and are prepared for medical contingencies. I highly doubt your current dentist and their staff have that important training.
Many patients with dental anxiety find that their anxiety causes their metabolism to speed up, which in turns burns off the anesthetic. Some patients can’t become numb without sedation.
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