Tracy Dentist - Pain and Anxiety Management FAQ - Smiles by Design in Livermore

Pain and Anxiety Management
1. How can you help me with my tremendous amount of fear and anxiety about going to the dentist?
First, you should know that there are many people who share your same concerns. Second, please know that we have methods of helping you manage and deal with your fears and anxieties.
2. What methods do you use to deal with my anxieties?
There are several methods available, including safe and effective medications if your anxiety is extremely high. We want you to be sure to tell us if this is the case! We are used to helping many of our patients who have various degrees of fear and anxiety, so be assured that we can work with you, too. If you have specific concerns, or just questions with regard to how we manage anxiety, please call us or schedule a "no-charge" consultation appointment so that we can discuss this with you in-person.

3. Do you practice "pain-free" dentistry?

"Pain-free" is a condition we cannot promise, but it is what we strive for every day with each of our patients. We can substantially minimize your pain by discussing your threshold of discomfort before we start any procedures – and paying close attention to this while we work. Your comfort is always our concern. Every effort is made to ensure that each of our patients feels as relaxed and comfortable as possible while we are working.
4. How will your approach to "Neuromuscular Dentistry" help me?
We professionally evaluate head, neck, back, shoulder and jaw pain. This pain can be reduced, or even eliminated. We may recommend that we replace defective dental restorations. We may suggest that we realign your bite through the use of appliances to help you achieve a comfortable jaw position. In addition, by administering hands-on treatment, we minimize and relieve pain and prevent further damage to muscles, joints and teeth. We may prescribe an appliance or an orthotic device. We may also use computer-aided instruments to measure your jaw joint and muscle activity. This allows us to improve and correct your bite or jaw position, which may be the cause of your pain.