Painless Dentistry
Painless Dentistry in Dillon, CO
Do you suffer from dental anxiety? This is a very common concern for millions of people who experience an overwhelming fear of dental procedures. Those fearful feelings are certainly unpleasant, but the problem is made worse by the fact that many of these patients avoid important dental treatment altogether.
At Summit Dental Group, your complete comfort and well-being are very important to our entire professional team. We want you to receive the dental treatment you need to protect your oral health, but we understand that dental anxiety is a very real problem. Putting off treatment is definitely not the answer since dental problems don’t go away by themselves.
Compassionate Care in a Safe Environment
Drs. Mitchell and Schneider are caring and compassionate professionals who want you to enjoy great oral health. Our treatments are painless and efficient, reducing discomfort and the time you need to spend in the dental chair. We’ve found that many people also experience dental anxiety because they feel a loss of control while receiving treatment. Here are some practical tips to help you to feel more confident during your dental appointments:
Communicate With Your Doctor: Patients with dental anxiety are often embarrassed to talk about their concerns. Speaking to Drs. Mitchell and Schneider about your fears will enable us to take the necessary precautions to keep you comfortable during treatment.
Agree on a Signal: We agree on a signal before treatment starts so you can alert us to any problems you’re having. This can be as simple as raising your hand to let us know you are feeling discomfort.
Throat Sprays: Some patients avoid dental treatment because they worry about gagging. Sprays that are used for sore throats can help keep the gag reflex under control for the duration of your appointment.
Sedation: Sedation dentistry is an excellent solution for many patients who would not normally be able to sit through a dental appointment. Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) can significantly reduce anxiety without putting you to sleep. You will be very relaxed and calm, but awake enough to communicate with our team if needed. Oral sedation using anti-anxiety medication is also available for our patients who experience more severe anxiety.
Every member of our professional team is trained to be sensitive and responsive to your concerns. We will spend all the time necessary to answer your questions and discuss your treatment so that you know exactly what to expect when you arrive for your appointment. If we agree that sedation is the solution for your anxiety, we will discuss your options and find the one that works best for you.
Contact Us and Put Your Fears to Rest
There is no reason to put off dental treatment because of anxiety. Please contact our Dillon dental office and we will be happy to schedule time to talk to you about your concerns and help you take control of your oral health care.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you get very anxious and stressed about visiting the dentist, we can assure you that you are not alone! Millions of people suffer from dental phobia, and some experience such severe anxiety that they completely avoid going to the dentist for any type of treatment.
Treatments for Anxiety at the Dentist
At our Dillon dental office, we are very sensitive about the concerns of our patients. We know that if you are fearful of dentists, one of the ways that we can help you is with kindness and compassion. It is our goal to help you see that we can build a trusting relationship that makes dental treatment seem less stressful.
We start building this trust by taking the time to talk to you about your anxiety. In many cases, opening up about their fear is a big help to our patients because they feel that their concerns are being taken seriously.
In any case, we can offer different types of sedation that will help you relax so you can get treatment without all the anxiety. Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is often enough to keep you calm without any side effects. Depending on your situation, we can prescribe an anti-anxiety medication to help you relax.
If you’ve been putting off dental treatment due to dental anxiety, please call our Dillon dental office. We will be happy to work with you to help you get the treatment you need.
Our Philosophy
We know that, from a child’s perspective, a visit to the dentist can be a pretty overwhelming event. They’re in a strange place with people they don’t know, surrounded by equipment that is scary just to look at.
But at Summit Dental, we take extra care with your child, because we don’t believe that a dental visit needs to be anything less than a positive, fun experience. There are already too many children and adults who did not get off to a good start with their dental care.
Making Your Child Comfortable
Our professional team will make your child feel special and welcome from the moment they arrive. We think it’s a good idea for you to bring your child in for a quick visit, just to see the office and meet our friendly staff. This way, when they’re ready for their first “official” visit, they’re at least familiar with the setting.
We always start your child’s visits off in a very conservative manner. During the first visit, we will just let your child sit in the dental chair or in your lap if they’re more comfortable. We can do a “pretend” exam of your teeth so they see there’s nothing to be afraid of.
At this point, they should be familiar with us and the surroundings. We go out of our way to make these visits fun, because a positive start leads to a lifetime of excellent oral health care. Please contact our Dillon dental office for more information about your child's first visit.
Making Your Visit Comfortable
Nitrous oxide – laughing gas – is a form of sedation that we use frequently at our Dillon dental office. We have helped many fearful patients get important dental treatment just by using laughing gas.
If you have mild or moderate dental anxiety, nitrous oxide may be the solution you’re looking for. It is a very mild form of sedation, and one of its advantages is that it has no adverse after-effects. Once treatment is finished, you will feel completely normal and be able to go about your normal activities.
How Does Laughing Gas Work?
Treatment using laughing gas is really very simple. Once we start administering the flow of gas, all you have to do is sit back and breathe. Very soon you will feel a great sense of calm and relaxation. Even though you will be awake enough to know where you are, the activity around you will recede into the background.
Ensuring Your Safety
It is a very safe form of sedation, and our professional team is fully trained in the proper use of nitrous oxide. You never have to worry that you’re not sedated enough, because a member of our team will be by your side to make sure you are completely comfortable.
Anxiety about visiting the dentist should not prevent you from taking care of your oral health. Please contact our Dillon dental office if you’d like more information about our sedation options.
What To Expect From Your Experience?
Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is the mildest forms of sedation we offer. One of its many benefits is that it has no lingering after-effects.
At Summit Dental Group, all members of our team are sensitive to your fears, but avoiding dental treatment because of anxiety is never a good idea. We want to make it easy for you to get the help you need so that you can enjoy a lifetime of healthy teeth.
How Does Nitrous Oxide Work?
Nitrous oxide helps many people because it is gentle, but provides enough sedation to reduce your anxiety during dental procedures. It is easy to administer – you just have to breathe through a small mask and relax.
A member of our team will be by your side to monitor the flow of gas to make sure that you remain calm for the duration of your treatment. You don’t have to worry that you will be “knocked out,” because nitrous oxide just makes you feel very relaxed and unaffected by what’s happening around you.
As soon as we stop the gas, you will feel completely normal and able to go about your daily activities without feeling groggy. Using sedation methods like nitrous oxide, there really is no reason for you to postpone important treatment because of anxiety. Please call our Dillon dental office, and we will be happy to talk to you about the benefits of painless dentistry.
At Summit Dental Group we are focused on making every visit to our office comfortable and stress-free. Our treatments are painless and efficient, which reduces discomfort and the time you need to spend in the dental chair. Your comfort and well-being are our primary focus, and all members of our team are trained to address your concerns with care and compassion.
Sources of Anxiety at the Dentist
Many people experience anxiety at the dentist because they feel a loss of control during their treatment. Being open about your concerns will make you feel better and help us adjust your treatment accordingly and take the necessary precautions to keep you comfortable.
Another common source of anxiety is the fear of gagging, or not being able to breathe. We suggest the use of a throat spray before treatment, which will help calm your gag reflex. If you’re worried about breathing, a simple solution is to breathe through your nose. If this is a problem, you can use a nasal strip to keep the air passage open.
Sedation Dentistry
Sedation dentistry is also an excellent solution for many patients like you who would not normally be able to sit comfortably through a dental appointment. Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) can significantly reduce anxiety without putting you to sleep. We also offer oral sedation if you have greater anxiety.
We don’t want you to put off treatment because you are anxious or fearful. Please contact our Dillon dental office, and we will be happy to answer your questions.
Meet Our Doctor:
Dr. Steven Mitchell DDS
Dr. Mitchell attended Florida State University and The University of Notre Dame for his undergraduate education and obtained his dental training at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and the University of Memphis. He also has extensive postgraduate education, specifically selecting courses focusing on oral surgery and dental implants. His most recent training in full-mouth rehabilitation allows him to provide smile makeovers to his patients for confident, healthy, beautiful smiles. His commitment to lifelong education means he is constantly evaluating emerging dental methods and technologies in order to provide ...