In the latest survey from the Spanish General Dental Council (Consejo General de Dentistas) on Oral Health in Spain, it was revealed that 15% of the Spanish population suffers from odontophobia.

But what is odontophobia?

It is a fear of the dentist, which normally emerges in childhood due to negative experiences with doctors with a poor “manner” or handling of the situation, due to memories of very painful treatment without immediate relief to the patient, and/or also due to the use of a low-quality anaesthetic. All of this creates a highly complex phobia in adulthood.

There is also a fear, acquired on a psychopathological level, which often presents itself when facing danger thresholds which cause unmanageable dread, panic attacks, and even anxiety. Phobia is a disproportionate fear when faced with a situation that is experienced with anxiety and which normally interferes with the person’s normal routine.

This fear becomes a mental health disorder which should be treated by specialists.

For this reason, we see many people who prefer to be in severe pain and discomfort rather than going to a dentist, not because of negligence, but because of the great fear involved in exposing themselves once again to a traumatic situation.

When faced with this situation, it is appropriate for the patient to receive treatment under intravenous conscious sedation.

Intravenous sedation

Intravenous conscious sedation is a type of anaesthetic technique which works as a complement to the local anaesthetic used by the dentist. This provides a sense of relaxation and drowsiness just like going to asleep, so the patient doesn’t feel a thing. It eliminates the anxiety and even provides a sensation of having invested very little time in the treatment, like in the blink of an eye.

Who do we work with using conscious sedation?

At Clínica Cloe we help you to overcome your phobia of the dentist. We work together with Indolora, and we provide conscious sedation to all our patients that suffer from this excessive fear.

Indolora works with a team of doctors that are highly specialized in Anaesthesiology and Reanimation and have a wealth of experience in conscious sedation, working in the major hospitals throughout Madrid.

In addition, Clínica Cloe is one of the few dental clinics with a U35 Anaesthesiology and Reanimation licence, which allows the clinic to carry out this type of procedure.

Sedation in paediatric dentistry

 
At Cloe, we have had many cases of children with a heightened fear of the dentist and we specialise in treating them with sedation for dental treatments.

Our paediatric dentists use techniques that help children to feel confident and think they are in an imaginary world. We let them choose their own bibs and goggles from different colours and designs. Then we say we are going to play in a spaceship (the treatment chair) and we play with the water and Mr Thirsty. That way, the child gets used to the consulting room and what follows will be much easier.

They don’t see the syringe we use to anaesthetise them, as we make them believe they are making a wish and their teeth are going to go to sleep by themselves.

Not just anyone has the appropriate charisma and warmth to look after children and we are proud to say that, here at Clínica Cloe, we are 100% trained to treat the children with an abundance of patience and love with a professional Odontopediatric team.

In all cases of conscious sedation, anxiety and fear are eliminated and it is completely safe as long as it is controlled by professional anaesthesiologists. Furthermore, in all the cases mentioned above, a local anaesthetic will be administered to relieve the pain, as the main function of conscious sedation is not to replace the local anaesthetic, but to complement it. That way, the patient is conscious and able to collaborate with the dentist.

Tips to overcome a fear of the dentist:

• Find an understanding dentist who is empathetic and helps you to reduce your stress. It is important that you can create an emotional and trusting bond with your dentist so you can confidently tell them about your fear.

• Visit the clinic before your appointment, that way you will be familiar with the clinic setting and its staff.

• Ask for an early morning appointment. That way, you will arrive at your appointment rested and more relaxed.

• Try not to arrive too early for your appointment to avoid an increase in anxiety and nerves.

• Listen to relaxing music by taking your earphones and listening to whatever music you wish.

Conscious Sedation is definitely the perfect solution for long treatments and is recommended for people with high levels of anxiety and fear of pain.

At Clínica Cloe we are committed to your dental health and we are certain that this will ultimately help with your overall health.

For more information, don’t hesitate to contact us on +34 91 371 7919 or via WhatsApp +34 606 83 12 21