by Anthony Megna

Created on: August 03, 2008   Last Updated: May 25, 2012

Like the vast majority of the population, I hate going to the dentist. I just can't stand having my mouth open for a long period of time, getting dry-mouth, and fear the sound and pain of that godforsaken drill. I also have a dentist that has big mitts, and I have a relatively small mouth. This is not a good fit for me. So there came a time when I had an emergency....

My dentist was trying to clean and fill my front canine. Well, the tooth needed a lot of work, and the nerve was partially exposed. I happen to have long roots, and when my dentist grabbed my nerve I almost went through the roof. I begged him to stop, told him I have to be put out, and he referred me to a sedation dentist. I was so thankful to be out of that chair, I was actually looking forward to going to this other dentist. So I made an appointment and went.

Sedation dentists are for me! Although the bill staggered me, I see no other way. I was given the full knockout treatment. The IV in the arm. I mean, I was out cold. This dentist was great. He did the root canal on the tooth, cleaned and put the temporary crown on, and before I knew it, my wife was helping me stagger to the car to go home. It was great. I didn't remember a thing, had virtually no pain and would go do all my teeth in an instant if I could afford it. For people who have a fear of the dentist, or are very uncomfortable going for one reason or another, sedation dentistry is the answer.

I also have a complication with a bad back. It hurts me to stay in one position in the chair, so this is another aggravating factor. None of this matters when sedation dentistry is used. It is just terrific.

I also had to go to an oral surgeon recently to have a tooth extracted. Well, even though this is different than a regular dentist, sedation is used as well. I can actually say I had a pleasant experience. I was put out with an IV, and within ten minutes I was done. The oral surgeon had extracted this problem tooth and the pain was gone. Fantastic.

Some people are blessed with strong teeth and gums. Not me. Although my teeth are strong, my gums aren't. Also, my teeth are very close together which makes it very difficult to floss. Problems begin when material gets trapped between the teeth, and the result are cavities. Back to the dentist I go. All my life it has been this way, fearing going back to the dentist every six months. Well, no more. I actually look forward to going to a sedation dentist. I can't imagine I would ever say that, but when you are put out and the work done is painless, how can you go wrong?

I suggest anyone who has similar feelings check out sedation dentistry. They take all the health insurance that a normal dentist does, although like I said, it is more money. You can get an awful lot of work done in one appointment however, thereby reducing the amount of times you have to go which is a bonus.

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