When it comes to patient comfort, at Farnham Road Dental Practice in Guilford we understand that putting your mind at ease is an essential part of dental care. With nearly 10% of British people having an exaggerated fear of the dentist, you are not alone. Whatever the cause, we appreciate your anxiety and we are here to help you overcome it.

Why are people anxious of the dentist?

Anxiety in the dental setting is something dentists come across frequently. At Farnham Road Dental Practice, we explain treatments as thoroughly as possible in order to avoid any surprises and we listen to our nervous patients without judging them. Dental phobia (fear of the dentist) is a very common fear. In some cases, it may have occurred after a bad experience with a dentist in the past.

For some people it is directly related to the expectation of something painful. Others just can’t tolerate the needles, the noise, or even the smells of a dental practice.

For all these reasons, we have a gently and friendly approach and we offer sedation dentistry, to help you have a relaxing and comfortable dental experience.

Intravenous sedation

Intravenous sedation is a very effective technique for the complete control of anxiety in nervous patients. As the name suggests, IV sedation involves the administration of a mild sedative through the bloodstream before a dental treatment. IV sedation will not knock you out completely – you will still be able to communicate with the dentist if needed, but you will feel relaxed and pain-free throughout the treatment.

IV sedation is ideal for complex oral treatments such as dental implants, tooth extractions or root canal treatment. IV sedation is very safe when carried out by a specially trained dentist. However pregnant women and people suffering from certain conditions cannot have IV sedation for safety reasons.

Once the procedure is finished you will feel completely relaxed, yet you will still be under the influence of the sedative for a few hours. It is strongly advised to bring an escort to accompany your home, otherwise you will have to wait at the dental practice for the drug to wear off in order to leave on your own.