Discover a New Era of Dental Comfort
Sedation Dentistry & Anxiety Control
If you experience any level of dental anxiety, sedation dentistry is a great choice! With our wide range of options to keep you comfortable, you’ll feel completely relaxed throughout your next dental appointment.
Comfortable Dental Care
Your fear of the dentist shouldn’t stand in the way of your oral health. At the Bellingham dental office of sedation dentist Eric Yaremko DMD, we believe you deserve a healthy smile without feeling stressed out while you receive treatment.
We understand the needs of patients who have dental fear, and we take all parts of our job seriously: Not only your treatment results but also your treatment experience. That means working closely with you to ensure you feel at ease during your entire appointment.
This starts with a conversation. We listen to your concerns and then we discuss the different options for making sure you are as comfortable and relaxed as possible.
Further down the page, you’ll find a list of many options we offer here at our office.
The 8 Ways to Deal With Dental Fears
Dr. Yaremko focuses on the treatment of dental-phobic patients. Click below to download his free eBook for tips and info on how to ease dental anxiety.
For a printed copy, please call us at (360) 734-6620.
"[When] I first came to see you, I was very nervous and scared. You, from the first moment we met, put me at ease. When you began to treat my multitude of problems you were direct, empathetic, and sympathetic to my fears. I still have some fears about needles and root canals, but without your sensitive and kind outlook, I would have let my teeth go bad. My family and I would like to thank you for your never-ending excellent work when it comes to tooth and gum health and repair. You have become a most trusted and welcome family friend and we appreciate all that you do, for us and the rest of your clientele."
Paul, Design Engineer, 46
Options To Help With Your Anxiety
1. Comfortable Injection Techniques
Dr. Yaremko is known for his very gentle injection technique. Most of our patients are pleasantly surprised that they never even feel the injection. A topical anesthetic is applied first to numb the spot where Dr. Yaremko will give you the injection. Your comfort is monitored by hand signals the entire time, and you can stop the procedure if you feel uncomfortable for any reason.
2. Local Anesthetic for Pain-Free Care
Injectable anesthetics, such as Lidocaine, prevent pain by blocking the nerves that sense and transmit pain. We can apply this to a specific area of your mouth to numb the tissues where you’ll receive treatment. Dr. Yaremko also has special syringes and specific nerve block techniques to anesthetize areas where some people have had a previous history of having problems getting numb.
3. Dental Fear Counseling
Dr. Yaremko and staff can work with you to teach you relaxation techniques, such as forms of self-hypnosis to make your dental appointments more comfortable.
4. Distraction Techniques
You can listen to music on wireless headphones, use the massage pad on the chairs, or watch a movie on an overhead LCD TV. Our patients often find that having something else to focus on is relaxing.
5. Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas)
Many of our patients choose to use this relaxing gas breathed in through a nasal mask. Patients do not need an escort to and from appointments when using this method of sedation.
6. Oral (Pill) Sedation
A number of our patients are prescribed valium to take prior to their appointments. This is even more relaxing than the nitrous oxide. However, a day off work and an escort is required. We also offer another form of oral/pill sedation, which is to take a sequence of small pills while being carefully monitored, in the office. These pills will make you very relaxed (from snoozing to asleep).
7. Intravenous Sedation
Some of our patients choose to have intravenous sedation for anxiety control during their dental appointments. You will arrive mildly sedated from a pill you take at home, then Bellingham sedation dentist Dr. Eric Yaremko will start an intravenous line and administer sedating medications to keep you comfortable during your dental procedure. Patients who are very anxious or have found that they are resistant to oral sedatives in the past are able to be treated comfortably with IV sedation.
8. General Anesthesia in Office
For patients who feel that they cannot tolerate dental procedures while they are awake at all (even sedated) or for patients with developmental delays, Dr. Yaremko and staff have worked with in-office anesthesiologists. Patients who have a stable medical history are candidates. Similar to a procedure at the hospital, the anesthesiologist will put the patient in a state of general anesthesia (asleep/unconscious) for the procedure. Dr. Yaremko does the dental procedures while the anesthesiologist keeps the patient asleep and monitors their safety.
9. Post-Treatment Comfort
We want you to remain comfortable after you leave our office too! For simple procedures, we make recommendations for over-the-counter medications you can buy at the store. For more involved procedures, a narcotic analgesic may be prescribed. We make every effort to make your post-operative experience as comfortable as possible.
Schedule Your Appointment Today
Ready to experience dental care without fear? Schedule your appointment with Dr. Yaremko and discover a new level of comfort in dentistry. With over 30 years of expertise in easing dental anxiety and providing the most advanced treatments in restorative and reconstructive care, Dr. Yaremko is committed to providing you excellent results in a stress-free environment. Contact us now to take the first step towards your healthiest smile.