It’s no secret that many people dread going to the dentist. There are lots of reason that people avoid dental visits: They hate the sound of the drill in their ears, they hate being lectured about their oral health, and they hate the feeling of someone peering over their face and invading their physical space. One of the things that people hate most about the dentist is the needles — which are often used by dentists to deliver local anesthesia and numb parts of the mouth before dental work is done.
While needles delivering a local anesthetic actually mitigate people’s pain in the dental chair, people can’t stand the sight of a long syringe going into their mouth — or the initial feeling of receiving an injection. In fact, many patients who receive an injection during their dental visit may feel too anxious to return to the dentist again — which can have a negative impact on their oral health in the long run.
Luckily, though, there is a new solution that may be a great alternative. It’s called the Wand, and it’s a computer-assisted local dental anesthesia delivery method — which can make the difference between a terrified patient and a happy one.
What Is the Dental Anesthesia Wand?
The Wand is a new device invented by Dr. Mark Hochman in order to improve the anesthesia delivery process and improve patient satisfaction. Hochman wanted to update a system that is more than a century old — and knew that he could do it using the power of technology. The wand is a small tube with a very small syringe attached to it, which releases local anesthetic. The dentist controls the wand with a foot pedal and an attached computer and can administer anesthesia to the whole gum, or simply one small area (like a tooth).
Benefits of Using the Wand
While the wand does essentially the same thing as anesthesia injected by a syringe, using it has more distinct benefits.
Less Anxiety
The Wand looks more like a Bic pen attached to a machine than a “shot.” This causes less anxiety in patients who may get nervous at the sight of a large needle and ultimately makes the dental visit more pleasant overall.
Slow Release
Rather than inundate a patient’s mouth with local anesthetic all at once, the Wand lets the anesthetic out slowly, which can more comfortably numb a patient’s mouth. When you receive a lot of anesthetic at once, it can burn or feel painful — so the Wand helps the numbing process be nearly completely pain-free.
Targeted Numbing
If you only have one tooth that’s being worked on, the dental anesthesia wand can help ensure that just that tooth is numb — not your entire mouth. This makes for a more comfortable day once you leave the dentist’s office.
Same Price
Receiving anesthesia through the dental anesthesia wand costs the same for a patient as traditional anesthesia. This means that patients can enjoy a more comfortable experience without having to pay any additional costs.
The Wand is just one way that dentists are, across the board, attempting to improve the patient experience so they are more likely to visit a dentist. Other ways that dentists are making the dental visit less dreadful include taking digital impressions for crowns; using lasers for procedures instead of drills; and using hand-held, digital X-ray machines instead of large, uncomfortable cameras.
