Where would we be without sedation? While it seems absolutely uncivilized to imagine a surgery without some kind of anesthetic, there were certainly times in the past where the very idea of sleeping through such a trauma seemed like a fantasy. Now, not only can we lull patients into calm sleeping states while entire surgeries ensue, but the surgeries themselves have advanced to a place where lasers and various technological advances make operations less invasive than ever. Still, if you have a hard time gearing up for dental work of any sort, sedation may be what you require to get through. Why white knuckle your phobias when you can get all of your dental work completed in a state of calm and peace?
Sedation Dentistry: So Important
About ¾ of American adults have dental anxiety. A smaller percentage of people have such severe dental fears, they qualify for the label “phobic.” If you have dental anxiety or phobia at any level, your nerves might be talking you into cancelling all dental appointments in the future. What happens when your lack of care translates to unhealthy, loose, or even lost teeth?
Who Invented Sedation?
Back in the 1800s, dental professionals were working hard to figure out a way to make sometimes downright torturous dental appointments much easier on patients. If you can picture having very sore, abscessed teeth pulled out with no anesthetic at all, you can imagine why nitrous oxide was such a big hit when Dr. William Morton, a dentist in Massachusetts, began to experiment with “laughing gas” and ether to calm patients or put them into a temporary sleep state. Even President Abraham Lincoln had help getting over his fears of the dental chair thanks to ether.
ABOUT YOUR GLENCOE DENTIST:
Dr. Brent Engelberg and his highly-skilled team proudly serve patients and their families from Arlington Heights, IL, and all surrounding communities, including; Northbrook, Deerfield, Highland Park, Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, Vernon Hills, Lincolnshire, Libertyville, Skokie, Evanston, Palatine, Schaumburg, Elk Grove Village, Rolling Meadows, and the Northern and Northwest Chicago Suburbs. To learn more, schedule a consultation online, or call our office today at 847-259-8030.
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