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Dental Anxiety

Specialized Dental Care for Dental Anxiety: Your Comfort is Our Priority

If you have been avoiding the dentist due to fear of what a procedure could be like or simply do not enjoy having dental work done, give us a call. In our Matteson, Illinois dental office, we can ensure that you are comfortable and relaxed regardless of what procedure is being performed. When you visit our office, Dr. Durr will meet with you to discuss what treatments you need and create a plan for how to keep your mouth healthy while easing any fears that you have about dentistry or procedures in general. This way you will be informed and empowered to make decisions regarding dental care without experiencing any anxiety.

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How Can I Ease My Fears About Dental Care Without Medication?

When you visit our dental office, we can discuss ways that you can prevent experiencing anxiety while receiving dental care. In addition to the medication that we can provide, you can try relaxing by drinking a glass of tea. There are several natural varieties that you can purchase at the health foods store that will relax and calm you. At times, this can be enough to put you into a naturally relaxed state. Some patients also find that they benefit from meditation and acupuncture.

How Can I Prepare For My Dentist Appointment?

Another easy way to calm your fears is to visit our Matteson dental office and meet with Dr. Durr without having actual dental work performed. Taking the time to tour our office, where you can sit in the dentist chair and have a conversation, will allow you to become familiar with our staff and office environment. This way when you do have your teeth cleaned, and dental work performed; you are doing so in an atmosphere that you feel comfortable in with procedures being completed by friendly and familiar faces. During your consultation, we can also discuss what you can expect from a teeth cleaning or a specific procedure. This will help you to prepare mentally for how long it will take, what dental tools will be used, what you could feel during the process and what the recovery period will be, if any. At Progressive Dental & Associates, we have found that the more informed our patients are the more comfortable and relaxed they feel. This one appointment can help to alleviate the fear of dentists that you are experiencing.

Dental anxiety

Sedation Dentistry Can Reduce Your Dental Anxiety

In our Matteson dental office, we practice sedation dentistry that can be used to reduce and prevent dental anxiety. Here are some of the questions we are regularly asked about sedation.
Will I be asleep when sedated?
Typically not. Sleep dentistry is usually reserved for oral surgery and lengthy procedures. Sedation dentistry will help you relax and can make you drowsy, so some patients do nod off, but you are technically not put to sleep.
To determine if you are healthy enough for sedation (most people are) we recommend that you schedule an appointment with our Illinois dental office. Dr. Durr will meet with you to discuss the type of sedation that would be best suited for your procedure and the level of dental anxiety that you are experiencing.
The most common form of sedation is taking a pill an hour before the procedure begins. One pill can help you to feel entirely relaxed so that your fear of dentists is eliminated. Most procedures like teeth cleaning or fixing a simple cavity do not necessarily hurt so with sedation many people do not require additional medication. However, if you would like pain medication as well, we can give it to you after the sedation has taken effect.
Yes, with sedation dentistry you can continue to engage in conversation and respond to commands but your response times may be slightly delayed and your mind not as clear as normal. This is why we recommend that you either have someone drive you home or wait until it has worn off completely before driving.
Most of the time the sedation goes away within an hour of your procedure being complete. If you are more heavily sedated or put to sleep for oral surgery, it can take a couple of hours to feel normal but this is rare. In our Matteson dental office, we use the least amount of sedation to help you to feel completely relaxed and comfortable so that it is effective without staying in your system for too long.
Yes, typically children need sedation when having a lot of dental work completed so that they can hold still long enough for the work to be performed. This is a unique specialty and not offered at every dentist office.

Yes, laser dentistry is transforming how dental procedures are being completed. When you visit our 60443 dental office, you can be confident that we will use the latest technology available to make your procedure more comfortable. Lasers allow us to do so because the laser energy is fine and can target small spaces without irritating the surrounding tissue. This reduces discomfort and recovery time. Lasers are also less invasive than traditional dental tools which means that there are less bleeding and swelling than there would be otherwise. They can be used in treating tooth decay, gum disease, and in restorative procedures. If you want a more comfortable experience and to reduce your dental anxiety, we highly recommend visiting a laser dentistry office. To learn about the procedures that we perform using lasers, call (708) 980-0110 and schedule an appointment to speak with Dr. Durr. At Progressive Dental & Associates, we have found that when lasers are used many of our patients no longer need sedation or pain medication because the common factors that create fear of dentists are eliminated. For example, the noise, heat, and vibration that is traditionally associated with the dental drill are not present when using lasers.

To learn more about sedation dentistry, new dental technology or how to reduce your dental anxiety, call and schedule an appointment with our Matteson dentist office today.

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Meet Our Doctor

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Robert D. Durr, D.M.D. F.I.C.O.I.

Robert D. Durr, D.M.D.

Dr. Robert D. Durr graduated from Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine.

Dr. Durr attends countless hours of continuing education at post-doctoral symposiums all over the country every year. Dr. Durr is a fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantology and member of DOCS. Since he began practicing dentistry, he has kept up-to-date on many of the latest products, procedures and dental technology, ensuring that his patients receive the most comprehensive and advanced dental care possible.

Testimonials From Our Patients

We are thrilled to offer exceptional services that exceed expectations!
Patty Cahue
December 12, 2023
I highly recommend Dr Durr at Preogressive Dental in Matteson, he and his Staff are kind and caring. Dr Durr is very gentle when caring for your teeth. He also explains what the plan of care is before he treats you and is letting you what he is doing as he goes!! His assistant is there making sure you are ok at all time.. I love the office staff!!
Andrea Wiley
November 28, 2023
Dr. Durr office took care of my problem right away. They were very prompt and showed exceptional care. I appreciate all the I tentativeness on my teeth. Thank you so much ☺️
Romaine C
November 9, 2023
The service was really great!! They all definitely made me feel comfortable about the procedure that I was going to be getting done. The staff was amazing! I definitely recommend them!!
Michael Usher
October 24, 2023
Always great service. Every time I come best Dentist office in the city. I would tell you to come by, but I don’t want you to know about my hidden jewels Progressive Dental
Edwina Thomas-Bull
October 23, 2023
I am doing this review for my husband Robert. He says that his experience was awesome! The assistants are awesome & the dentist was fantastic. He says makes him more comfortable thinking about any future visits he may have since he’s always apprehensive & nervous about dental visits. Great place he says
Andrea Siegmeyer
October 3, 2023
Staff was very friendly and professional. Dr. Durr was kind and gentle. Did not feel rushed and he answered all of my questions. He even asked permission to touch my teeth because I told him I was having pain. No dentist has ever done that. I am an extremely fearful patient and I felt comfortable and cared for during my visit. Thank you!
Donna G
September 26, 2023
I’ve had a good experience working with the Progressive Team. The office is very clean, the staff is polite and very prompt, the longest I’ve waited was maybe 5 minutes. So you can beat that.
Nadine
September 11, 2023
Today was my first visit to the dental office. I must say, everyone from the reception desk to the exam room were exceptionally nice and helpful. Dr. Durr was excellent and answered all of my questions.

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If you are looking for a highly trained and experienced dentist in Matteson, you have come to the right place. At our practice, you will receive the highest quality dental care. Our dental office uses the latest state-of-the-art equipment and cutting edge technology and we uphold the strictest sterilization techniques.

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