Our dentistry is tailored to each and every patient. For our nervous patients, we offer a range of options to make your dental treatment more comfortable:
Light oral pre-med: for those patients who experience anxiety leading up to their appointments and during the appointments, we can prescribe a relaxant to reduce this anxiety. It will not put you to sleep but it can reduce the worry leading up to and during the appointment. This option will only create a slightly more relaxed state, it will not put you to sleep.
Penthrox sedation: also affectionately known by our patients as the “green whistle”, Penthrox (methoxyfluorane) is a general anaesthetic type drug which is inhaled through a whistle like device. It produces a state of happiness and reduces pain to a degree. It works wonderfully well for our needle phobic patients both young and old. Recovery is swift, with patients feeling normal again in 15 minutes.
IV sedation: For those very nervous patients who require long or complex dental appointments, we offer intra venous sedation at Lifestyle Dental Studio. The sedation is administered by a qualified anaesthetist or dental seditionist while Dr Porzig carries out the dental procedure. Also call “twilight sedation”, you will still be breathing for yourself and won’t technically be asleep, but you will have no awareness or recollection of the procedure. The recovery is generally swift and you will be able to go home within an hour of the procedure ending. You will need a responsible friend or relative to transport you home as no driving is allowed on the day of the IV sedation.
General Anaesthetic: For those nervous patients requiring long or complex dental procedures where IV sedation isn’t suitable or when more control of the airway or operating site is needed, a general anaesthetic can be arranged. We provide our dental treatment under General anaesthetic at Westminster Day Surgery. The nursing staff at the day surgery provide all your pre and post-surgery care and an anaesthetist administers the general anaesthetic while Dr Porzig carries out your dental treatment.
If your nerves and anxiety are stopping you from having the dentistry that you need or want, give one of our friendly team a call today so that we can find a way to help you get past your dental anxiety. We have many patients who have come in as shivering, sobbing nervous wrecks from horrible past medical and dental experiences. Most of these patients, we are pleased to say, now come in regularly for their preventative care appointments without any obvious anxiety or if they do it is much reduced, thanks to the skill and patience of our Lifestyle Dental team.