No one likes having dental treatment. Some of us manage to accept our dentistry with the help of an injection in the gum, (local anaesthetic). Some of us however require alternative methods of pain and anxiety control. There are a number of these, which can be used either alone, or in conjunction with the familiar local anaesthetic. Your dentist will understand your anxieties and will be pleased to discuss your options.
General anaesthesia (GA) is now largely confined to the hospital environment. There are still a small number of patients, especially children, but also some adults, where the treatment is best provided under a GA and for whom appropriate referral to hospital is justified.
To replace GA there is a range of safer modern alternatives. The range extends from "tender loving care" right through to conscious sedation provided by your dentist giving an injection in your arm or hand.
Oral sedation, inhalational sedation and the injection in the arm are the more commonly used techniques but some dentists can produce good results using hypnosis or acupuncture either alone or in conjunction with other treatment methods. Should you feel these alternatives are for you, talk to your dentist.
This practice has nearly 30 years of experience.
