SEDATION DENTISTRY

Our caring dentists can make your dental visits less stressful by offering you sedation dentistry. How? The answer may be very important to you. If you are like many other people, you fear going to the dentist because you have had or worry about having pain with certain dental procedures. Having major dental work or even routine dental cleanings done can provoke a high level of anxiety, particularly if you have not had dental work done before or have had a bad experience. We can sedate you before starting to work on your teeth to calm your anxiety or relieve your dental phobia.

SEDATION DENTISTRY IS DIFFERENT FROM GENERAL ANESTHESIA

After sedation dentistry treatments, people often have the sensation that they were unconscious during the procedure. Sedation is even called “sleep dentistry” by the uninformed. The truth is that not only do you not go to sleep, but in fact, your reflexes are completely active, you can respond to physical stimuli, and you are able to respond to your dentist’s verbal instructions. However, your memory of the procedure may be dim or foggy. The different types of sedation dentistry all have one thing in common: they do not cause you to go into a deep sleep or unconsciousness.

LAUGHING GAS SEDATION

Your dentist can administer laughing gas to reduce your anxiety and tension. This type of sedation dentistry works well for people who feel somewhat nervous about having their teeth worked on by a dentist. The dentist places a small mask over your nose to deliver the laughing gas to you as you breathe. The resulting feeling of well-being and ease helps you sail through the procedures without stress.

MODERATE DENTAL SEDATION

For moderate sedation, your dentist gives you an oral sedative medication to take at a specified hour before your dental appointment.  We strongly recommend you have someone drive you to our dental officeand be there to deliver you home afterwards. Along with the oral sedative, your dentist might choose to give you fast-acting sedatives delivered via intravenous or intramuscular injections to manage pain and anxiety during the treatment. Your dentist may recommend moderate sedation if you have severe anxiety or dental phobia.

FINDING THE RIGHT SEDATION DENTIST

You know you have found the best professional for sedation dentistry when the procedure goes smoothly, with no worries or problems at all. But, how do you know which dentist is right before you go? After all, once you’re in the dentist’s chair, it can be a frightening experience if something goes terribly wrong.

The first thing you need to do is find out about the dentist’s education. Our dentists have additional hours of education beyond their general dentistry degree. We also have taken special classes that are necessary to ensure in-depth knowledge of when and how to use sedation. Also, the dentist should participate in ongoing training in sedation dentistry. Just as important, our dentist office is well-equipped, with monitoring devices and medications to counter the sedatives in case of emergency.

When you choose our well-trained, experienced sedation dentists, you can rest calmly while your dentist does the work you most need for your dental health. You can let go of your anxiety and fear, knowing that your dentist has your oral care under control.