Sedation Dentistry is a great option for patients with dental anxiety, sensitive gag reflexes, or needing extensive dental work. It’s important to find a dentist who specializes in sedation and understands the special considerations involved.

Nitrous oxide is administered through a mask and works quickly to put you at ease. You can expect to feel drowsy but awake, and most patients don’t remember their procedure.

Anxiety Relief

For many people, the mere sight of a dentist’s chair can cause an anxiety attack. These fears can keep some from getting the necessary dental care they need, leading to painful and dangerous complications. Sedation dentistry can help patients get past their anxieties and back to a healthy smile.

Your sedation dentist will evaluate your anxiety level and determine the best type of sedation for you. Nitrous oxide, or “laughing gas,” is a popular choice for patients with mild anxiety and can be administered through a small mask over the nose. It relieves your stress, lowers your pain threshold, and makes time seem to go by more quickly. For more serious cases of anxiety, your sedation dentist may suggest oral or IV sedation. With IV sedation, medication is delivered directly into the bloodstream for a more pronounced and long-lasting calming effect.

Oral sedatives like Halcion, which is part of the benzodiazepine family, can produce minimal to moderate sedation and are usually taken about an hour before your appointment. Depending on the dose used, you may become groggy enough to fall asleep during your visit. However, you can be easily awakened if needed. This type of sedation can allow you to be a more cooperative patient and let your dentist perform more procedures at one time. It also creates a longer period of amnesia, so you won’t remember the procedure when you wake up.

Faster Treatment

Whether you opt for laughing gas (administered through a mask over your nose) or oral sedation (a pill taken before an appointment), the medications work to relax patients in minutes. This relaxed state allows you to feel more comfortable during treatment, lowering your pain threshold and making time seem to fly by.

You may feel groggy or unaware of your surroundings once the effects of these types of sedation wear off, but it should only take a couple of hours for you to return to normal. For this reason, you must arrange for someone to drive you to and from your appointments.

Some dental insurance plans cover the costs of sedation, as it helps patients receive the care they need. This type of coverage typically applies when sedation is deemed necessary for medical purposes, like in the case of people with severe anxiety and other health conditions that prevent them from visiting the dentist.

Sedation dentistry is a great option for anyone who has anxiety about going to the dentist, including children and senior citizens. It can help you build a positive dental experience, improving your oral hygiene habits and reducing the need for restorative procedures in the future. Talk to your dental team today about how sedation dentistry can make a difference for you!

More Comfortable

For some patients, a visit to the dentist can be a stressful experience. For these patients, sedation dentistry can make a dental appointment much more pleasant and manageable.

Dental anxiety and fear can make it difficult to attend regular dental appointments, leading to untreated cavities and other oral health issues. Sedation can help to alleviate these issues, allowing patients to visit the dentist more regularly and have more confidence in their dental treatment.

Inhalation sedation, also known as laughing gas, is one of the most common forms of sedation dentistry. It works quickly, reaching your brain within 20 seconds, and the relaxation and pain-killing effects develop very rapidly. During the procedure, you’ll breathe in through a flexible mask placed over your nose. You’ll remain conscious and can communicate with the dentist, but you’ll likely feel very relaxed and calm during the entire visit.

Oral sedation involves taking a pill or liquid medication before your appointment. This type of sedation is best for patients with mild to moderate dental anxiety. It can make the appointment seem shorter and more comfortable, especially for procedures that require a long time to complete, such as dental implants or root canals. Depending on the type of sedation, you’ll need to arrange for someone to drive you home after your appointment, as most types of sedation can lead to drowsiness.

Less Pain

Sedation reduces your anxiety and promotes a state of relaxation during your appointment. As a result, you’ll be much more receptive to pain management strategies from our dental team. This makes it easy to achieve pain-free treatment.

However, sedation does not prevent discomfort completely. You’ll still feel pressure on your teeth, and you might experience some pain when we are drilling or scraping your gums. This is why local anesthesia is often administered along with sedation for a pain-free treatment experience.

For some patients, sedation will make them drowsy or even fall asleep during their dental procedure. This type of sedation is typically used for longer or more complex treatments. It can also be used for severe dental phobia or anxiety. In these cases, you’ll receive intravenous (IV) sedation. This is when you are given a medication like midazolam, which will put you in a semi-conscious state but ensures that you can respond appropriately. Many patients don’t remember their appointments once the sedation has worn off.

Anxiety shouldn’t prevent you from getting the dental care that you need for healthy teeth and a beautiful smile. Contact us today to find out more about the sedation options we offer and how you can overcome anxiety during your next visit to our office. With a little help from our caring team, you can take the first steps towards improved oral health and a lifetime of happiness!