

Dental phobia is a fear of the dentist that is experienced by millions of Americans, so much so that every year, countless people avoid going to the dentist even though they know they really need to. If dental visits make you or your child nervous, sedation dentistry can help change that. Using the techniques outlined below, we can protect a patient from discomfort and calm their anxious mind all at the same time. From standard checkups to complex oral surgery, sedation can make any dental procedure seem like a breeze. To learn more about how sedation could improve your next dental appointment, contact us today.
For those with a mild to moderate fear of the dentist, we can prescribe them a pill to take about an hour before their scheduled appointment. That way, by the time they reach our office, they are already physically and mentally relaxed. While a patient will remain awake the entire visit, time will fly by very fast, and most have little to no memory afterward, which is just perfect for some!
If a patient just needs a little help to feel comfortable in the chair, nitrous oxide sedation provides a gentle and safe solution. When this colorless, odorless gas is inhaled through a small nasal mask, a patient quickly begins to feel relaxed, happy, and even euphoric. Also, the effects of the gas wear off almost instantly after the mask is removed, enabling a patient to go straight back to their day with no lasting drowsiness.
IV sedation is excellent for those with an extreme fear of the dentist or who want to have multiple procedures completed in a single appointment in order to save time. A powerful sedative is administered directly into the bloodstream, quickly putting a patient into a very deep state of relaxation. The big benefit of this approach is that we can adjust a patient’s sedation level in real-time, meaning we can ensure their comfort every moment of their visit.
If a patient needs an extensive amount of dental work or has an issue sitting still for a long time, we can help them literally sleep through their appointment using general anesthesiology. We only use general anesthesiology after giving a patient a thorough medical exam to make sure it is completely safe. While under, we also keep a close eye on a patient’s heart rate and breathing to ensure the procedure goes smoothly.