We are committed to providing the most gentle and comfortable treatment possible. Pain management has many components and at Richmond Fine Dentistry we aim to address each one.
Gentle Pain Management and Reassurance
We use a gentle local anaesthetic technique for pain relief prior to our procedures. An anaesthetic is applied topically to numb the gum prior to local administration of the anaesthetic solution which is warmed and administered slowly. to ensure a comfortable procedure.
For patients who require extra assistance we offer a self-administered anaesthetic that relaxes and calms you which has been successfully used in dental health care for many years and is a safe and immediate pain relief medication, administered through inhalation. It removes the anxiety some patients experience when it comes to injections and other dental treatment.
Our dentists are gentle with their use of instruments around your mouth and use natural lip balm to be kind to your lips.
Prompt and timely management of pain episodes reduces the amount of suffering and over-dependence on pain medications. Many patients are motivated to see us because they have pain related to dental decay, infections, impacted wisdom teeth and temporomandibular disorders (TMD or jaw pain). We maintain emergency appointments for these situations, but please ring as early as possible.
Scaling and hygiene can be challenging when performed in a thorough way, so we use topical anaesthetic creme and the highest quality American hand scalers which are fine and efficient.
Trust and respect
A trusting relationship with us is fundamental to a good experience, so we work at getting to know and understand our patients. You are unique and special and we respect this.
We take care with the administration of medications and mouthwashes to assist with pain and discomfort. We also offer post-treatment phone calls for reassurance and assistance.
Needle-Free Pain Relief
Needle-free anaesthetic, is administered topically at and below the gum line. It is effective and efficient for scaling and root planing procedures. Dr Harper and our hygienists may recommend this alternative to traditional anesthesia for several reasons.
Benefits for Needle-Free Pain Relief:
- Onset is quick, acting within 30 seconds
- Duration of effect is approximately 20 minutes, so normal sensation is typically returned by the time your appointment is over.
- Site-specific, making it a great choice for periodontal maintenance with scaling and root planing.
- Unique properties of anaesthetic allow hygienists to better control anaesthetic placement.