How to Find a Painless Dentist

"Painless" and "dentist" were concepts that didn’t go together originally. Advances in pain control and dentists’ empathy improved the situation; with some searching, you could expect to find "less pain," if not "painless." But technology now offers us dental-phobes real hope for a pain-free experience in a dentist’s chair.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Understand all the sources of your pain. Studies show fear increases the perception of pain and the biggest sources of fear in a dental office are the sight of needles and the sound of high-speed drills.
2. Research dental lasers. New high-tech lasers that target the water in body cells can evaporate decay and do many other things without needles or drills. Many laser procedures cause no pain. Additional benefits include minimization of bleeding, infection, damage to surrounding tissues, suture use and healing time.
3. Determine if your problem can be treated with a laser. Lasers are used today in cavity detection and removal, teeth whitening, gum care and restructuring, removal of benign tumors and soft tissue folds, treatment of temporomandibular joint problems and tooth sensitivity. Dental lasers are not used in the replacement of amalgam fillings or crowns.
4. Find dentists in your area that use laser dentistry through docshop.com or the Academy of Laser Dentistry (see Resources below). Unfortunately, this technology is not yet mainstream. You may have to travel to reach a laser dentist.
5. Schedule a consultation. Ask the dentist about her education and experience with lasers. Is she a member of the Academy of Laser Dentistry? Discuss your concerns and all treatment options. Since lasers can’t do everything, your dentist should be sensitive to your anxieties and knowledgeable about sedation use as well.
6. Go to your dental visits confidently and calmly.