Dental Anxiety Chevy Chase, MD

At James J. Stevens DDS, we specialize in treating patients that are suffering from dental anxiety. If you have been avoiding the dentist due to fear of what a procedure could be like or simply do not enjoy having dental work done, give us a call. In our Chevy Chase, Maryland dental office, we can ensure that you are comfortable and relaxed regardless of what procedure is being performed. When you visit our office, Dr. Stevens will meet with you to discuss what treatments you need and create a plan for how to keep your mouth healthy while easing any fears that you have about dentistry or procedures in general. This way you will be informed and empowered to make decisions regarding dental care without experiencing any anxiety.

How can I ease my fears about dental care without medication?

When you visit our dental office, we can discuss ways that you can prevent experiencing anxiety while receiving dental care. In addition to the medication that we can provide, you can try relaxing by drinking a glass of tea. There are several natural varieties that you can purchase at the health foods store that will relax and calm you. At times, this can be enough to put you into a naturally relaxed state. Some patients also find that they benefit from meditation and acupuncture.

How can I prepare for my dentist appointment?
Another easy way to calm your fears is to visit our Chevy Chase dental office and meet with Dr. Stevens without having actual dental work performed. Taking the time to tour our office, where you can sit in the dentist chair and have a conversation, will allow you to become familiar with our staff and office environment. This way when you do have your teeth cleaned, and dental work performed; you are doing so in an atmosphere that you feel comfortable in with procedures being completed by friendly and familiar faces. During your consultation, we can also discuss what you can expect from a teeth cleaning or a specific procedure. This will help you to prepare mentally for how long it will take, what dental tools will be used, what you could feel during the process and what the recovery period will be, if any. At James J. Stevens DDS, we have found that the more informed our patients are the more comfortable and relaxed they feel. This one appointment can help to alleviate the fear of dentists that you are experiencing.

Chevy Chase Dental Anxiety

Sedation Dentistry Can Reduce Your Dental Anxiety
In our Chevy Chase dental office, we practice sedation dentistry that can be used to reduce and prevent dental anxiety. Here are some of the questions we are regularly asked about sedation.

Will I be asleep when sedated?
Typically not. Sleep dentistry is usually reserved for oral surgery and lengthy procedures. Sedation dentistry will help you relax and can make you drowsy, so some patients do nod off, but you are technically not put to sleep.

Can everyone use sedation dentistry?
To determine if you are healthy enough for sedation (most people are) we recommend that you schedule an appointment with our Maryland dental office. Dr. Stevens will meet with you to discuss the type of sedation that would be best suited for your procedure and the level of dental anxiety that you are experiencing.

How is sedation dentistry administered?
The most common form of sedation is taking a pill an hour before the procedure begins. One pill can help you to feel entirely relaxed so that your fear of dentists is eliminated. Most procedures like teeth cleaning or fixing a simple cavity do not necessarily hurt so with sedation many people do not require additional medication. However, if you would like pain medication as well, we can give it to you after the sedation has taken effect.

Will I be able to move around like normal?
Yes, with sedation dentistry you can continue to engage in conversation and respond to commands but your response times may be slightly delayed and your mind not as clear as normal. This is why we recommend that you either have someone drive you home or wait until it has worn off completely before driving.

Are there any side effects of sedation dentistry?
Most of the time the sedation goes away within an hour of your procedure being complete. If you are more heavily sedated or put to sleep for oral surgery, it can take a couple of hours to feel normal but this is rare. In our Chevy Chase dental office, we use the least amount of sedation to help you to feel completely relaxed and comfortable so that it is effective without staying in your system for too long.

Can children benefit from sedation dentistry?
Yes, typically children need sedation when having a lot of dental work completed so that they can hold still long enough for the work to be performed. This is a unique specialty and not offered at every dentist office.

Are there other ways to make dental work more comfortable?
Yes, laser dentistry is transforming how dental procedures are being completed. When you visit our 20815 dental office, you can be confident that we will use the latest technology available to make your procedure more comfortable. Lasers allow us to do so because the laser energy is fine and can target small spaces without irritating the surrounding tissue. This reduces discomfort and the recovery time. Lasers are also less invasive than traditional dental tools which means that there is less bleeding and swelling than there would be otherwise. They can be used in treating tooth decay, gum disease, and in restorative procedures. If you want a more comfortable experience and to reduce your dental anxiety, we highly recommend visiting a laser dentistry office. To learn about the procedures that we perform using lasers, call (301) 656-3900 and schedule an appointment to speak with Dr. Stevens. At James J. Stevens DDS, we have found that when lasers are used many of our patients no longer need sedation or pain medication because the common factors that create fear of dentists are eliminated. For example, the noise, heat, and vibration that is traditionally associated with the dental drill is not present when using lasers.

To learn more about sedation dentistry, new dental technology or how to reduce your dental anxiety, call and schedule an appointment with our Chevy Chase dentist office today.

Helpful Related Links

• American Dental Association (ADA). Glossary of Dental Terms. 2015
• American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry® (AACD). Home Page. 2015
• WebMD. WebMD’s Oral Care Guide. 2015

About our business, license, and website security

• James J. Stevens DDS was established in 1976
• We accept the following payment methods: American Express, Cash, Check, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa
• We serve patients from the following counties: Montgomery County
• We serve patients from the following cities: Chevy Chase, Bethesda, and Northwest Washington


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