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 known as a dental phobia. Many patients even fear a simple dental cleaning. If you would rather suffer a toothache than visiting 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 calm patients. There are different levels of sedation we administer, depending on how extreme the level of anxiety. Minimal sedation is the most common form that we use for dental cleanings, fillings and crowns. While the patient is under minimal sedation, he or she will be calm and comfortable. The patient will be almost sleepy, but will still be able to respond when spoken to.
Moderate sedation is similar to mild or minimal sedation, but a little stronger. If a patient is put under moderate sedation, then he or she will still be able to speak and interact, but will most likely not remember much of the visit. Deep sedation and general anesthesia put one into a deep sleep. We normally reserve deep sedation and general anesthesia 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 the nose to initiate mild to moderate sedation. Laughing gas produces a euphoric, relaxed feeling while allowing one to respond to and speak to the dentist. We also provide minimal to moderate sedation through oral medications. Patients will take the oral medication before the appointment in a liquid or pill form.
We use and carefully monitor IV sedation for moderate to deep sedation during root canal treatments. We can also administer general anesthesia through IV. We will use local anesthetics in conjunction with most of these sedation methods to ensure that one does not feel discomfort during the 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.