A single traumatic experience at the hands of a well-meaning dentist is all it takes to trigger this lifelong aversion to dental procedures. Many people thus go through their entire lives without seeing the dentist regularly, causing them to suffer a host of dental problems that could otherwise be easily treated or avoided.
Dental phobia, or the irrational fear of dentists, is often related to the fear of doctors and hospitals, needles and blood, and the foreboding atmosphere in the medical setting. Some people are even put off by the smell and appearance of a dental office. In response to this, modern dental offices project a more relaxing and less sterile atmosphere to put patients at ease.
However, a well-designed office might not provide enough enticement for people who suffer from severe dental phobia. Fortunately, with the help of sedation dentistry, patients can feel significantly less pain than they might otherwise experience during their dental procedures.
Sedatives are administered orally, intravenously or through inhalation. They induce different levels of sedation depending on the procedure and the patient's health. At present, nitrous oxide--commonly known as "laughing gas" because of its euphoria-inducing properties--is primarily used for root canal treatment because of the procedure's rigorously invasive nature.