A Sedation Dentist Can Change Your Opinion of Dental Care

If the thought of visiting the dentist causes severe anxiety, you should consider visiting a sedation dentist for a better experience. Some people have severe fears surrounding the dentist office, which is often called dental phobia. Many patients even fear a simple dental cleaning. If you would rather suffer a toothache than visit the dentist, we can help you have a more relaxing, stress-free visit. A sedation dentist can take away your fears, de-stress you, and make you feel comfortable in the dentist chair. We provide sedation techniques for every appointment, even if it is just a teeth cleaning.

Levels of Sedation

A sedation dentist provides a variety of useful sedation techniques to help patients relax. With the use of medication and a comforting bedside manner, we sedate and calm patients. There are different levels of sedation we administer, depending on how extreme your anxiety is. Minimal sedation is the most common, and it is used for dental cleanings, fillings, crownings, and more. While you are minimally sedated, you will be calm and comfortable, almost sleepy, but you will still be able to respond when spoken to. Moderate sedation is similar to mild or minimal sedation, but a little stronger. If you are put under moderate sedation, you will still be able to speak and interact, but you will most likely not remember much of your visit. Deep sedation and general anesthesia put you into a deep sleep. Deep sedation and general anesthesia are normally reserved for oral surgeries or extremely severe cases of dental phobia.

Forms of Sedation

A sedation dentist can provide sedation through a variety of means. Nitrous oxide, also known as ”laughing gas,” is combined with oxygen and administered through a mask over your nose to initiate mild to moderate sedation. Laughing gas produces a euphoric, relaxed feeling while allowing you to respond to and speak to your dentist. We also provide minimal to moderate sedation through oral medications. These will be taken before your appointment and can be in liquid or pill form. IV sedation is used for moderate to deep sedation. IV sedation is carefully monitored and is often used for root canal treatments. General anesthesia can also be administered through IV. Local anesthetics will be used in conjunction with most of these sedation methods to ensure that you feel no discomfort during your procedure or treatment.

Candidates for Sedation

Those who need to visit a sedation dentist include:

Those who are stressed or anxious.
Those who feel sad or upset about visiting the dentist.
Those who have a low pain threshold or sensitive teeth.
Children or adults with attention deficits or high energy, who have a hard time sitting still for long periods.
Those who need extensive dental work like several fillings or crowns, root canal treatment, or dental implants.

Patients with medical complications should receive permission from a doctor before sedatives are administered. If you are concerned about how medications will react with sedation, talk with our sedation dentist office or your physician to learn more. Visit our office for a new and improved opinion of dental care today.