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By: Dr. Timothy Coen Marshfield News Herald Healthy Lifestyle Page – Article Submission Dental Clinic of Marshfield, S.C. — September 2010 Many people face their dental appointments with a great deal of fear or anxiety.  This anxiety may lead to their experiencing an embarrassing, uncontrollable gag reflex.  They are not alone.  Research shows that as many as one in five patients experience a gagging reflex during routine dental exams and while dental care is being performed.  Remaining calm during a dental procedure is the most effective way to prevent a gag reflex from occurring—that’s why patients who are anxious will benefit from Sedation Dentistry. Severe anxiety that leads to a gag reflex and a patient’s inability to remain calm during dental visits can be effectively managed by using Sedation Dentistry. When a patient is calm and breathing normally, gag reflexes are not an issue.  To help these patients experience a state of relaxation and comfort, sedation techniques are used during routine dental exams and during more in-depth dental work like a root canal or implant surgery. I practice Sedation Dentistry and have received specialized training that has given me the knowledge about the use and effectiveness of administering a variety of local and sedative anesthetics. I know which are the safest drugs to use for the prevention and management of discomfort resulting from previous dental and surgical procedures, and which are the most effective drugs for my patients who may be experiencing higher levels of anxiety and fear. Local anesthetics are drugs which, when injected near a nerve, prevent stimulation from reaching the brain where it would be interpreted by a person as pain.  Sedation dentists practicing anxiety-free dentistry know that these work very well as temporary relief for short-term discomfort and pain. Though not as readily available as other conscious sedation techniques, intravenous (IV) conscious sedation is a safe and highly effective technique for management of moderate levels of dental anxiety. A major benefit of some of the IV drugs is amnesia.  The patient will have no memory of some, or even all, of the dental treatment.  This leads the patient to believe they were asleep during the procedure, but in reality, they were awake and comfortable at all times.  General anesthesia is used for severe cases of dental anxiety and carried out with the assistance of a dental or medical anesthesiologist. It is important for patients to voice concerns and dental fears with their dentist during their first visit to the office.  Together with your dentist, a plan to alleviate anxiety can be established and allow you to take the necessary steps to keep your smile healthy. Dr. Timothy J. Coen, D.D.S. is a General Dentist who is certified in Sedation Dentistry practicing at the Dental Clinic of Marshfield.  For more information about anxiety-free sedation dentistry, or to schedule an appointment, please contact Dental Clinic of Marshfield.