Pill takes away fear of dentist
Pill takes away fear of dentist
Medical News Today
June 13, 2005
"It was 7 or 8 years that I had avoided the dentist. I took a pill an hour before and then I don't remember anything about the procedure. Now my teeth are in good shape. It works for me!" said Donna Rader, a dispatcher for an electric company in Woodward, Oklahoma.
Thousands of people who avoided the dentist are getting their dentistry done while they relax in the chair, thanks to a new development in dentistry called "pill dentistry," technically known as oral conscious sedation.
"More than 90 million Americans are afraid of the dentist and are putting off work that could save their smile," said Dr. Michael Silverman, president of the 2600-member group Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation. "Use of this procedure has grown rapidly. Almost one million procedures have been done," said Dr. Silverman.
John Warthan, 48, a postmaster in Richmond, VA said, "sedation dentistry is the way to go if you are afraid of the horror stories you've heard about going to the dentist. It was a four hour procedure and I don't remember one single thing. My jaw wasn't sore at all. It was a drastic improvement to my smile."
"The dentist gave me two pills. Next thing I remember, I was finished. It's like going to sleep, waking up and having a mini-makeover. It's fantastic," said Christopher Stuhr, 55, owner of insurance business in Santa Rosa, CA.
"Pill dentistry does more than let patients relax while getting their teeth fixed. It also lets them get their treatment done in fewer visits," said Dr. Silverman. "Dentistry that would have taken many visits to do, now only take a few."
Patients can ask their dentists if they are qualified to perform this new technique. Or they can search http://www.sedationcare.com to find a qualified dentist.
© 2007 MediLexicon International Ltd
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