Sedation: The Solution to Your Dental Anxiety

For many people, visiting the dentist can evoke feelings of anxiety and fear. Whether it's due to past traumatic experiences, fear of pain, or general dental phobia, dental anxiety can prevent individuals from seeking necessary dental care, leading to compromised oral health. Fortunately, sedation dentistry offers a solution for those who struggle with dental anxiety, allowing them to receive the dental treatment they need in a relaxed and comfortable environment. In this blog post, we'll explore sedation dentistry and how it can help alleviate dental anxiety, making dental visits a more pleasant experience.

As every patient’s needs and concerns are different, there are varying levels of sedation available. This can even apply to something like a hygiene appointment Sedation simply helps take the edge off during your visit. You are typically still awake with sedation medication, unless you are under general anesthesia of course. Even so, you can rest easy knowing that our team will never leave you unattended while you are sedated. 

There are a few different types of sedation we use for dentistry:

• Nitrous oxide - You probably know it as “laughing gas.”  This low level form of sedation is inhaled through a mask. It doesn't last too long, and you are usually able to drive home from your appointment. 

 

• Oral sedation - This can be administered in pill form prior to your appointment, or a heavier dose may be used. Your dentist will match the level of sedation to your needs. At most, this level can make you drowsy enough to fall into a light sleep.

 

• IV sedation - With this moderate form administered via IV, the effects of the sedative are felt much sooner. Again, dosage is tailored to your comfort level. You will not be fully asleep, but you probably won't remember too much. Your regular cognizant state will come back shortly following your appointment. 

 

• Deep sedation/general anesthesia - In this case, patients are induced into a total loss of consciousness. You probably won’t even know you're at the dentist! General anesthesia is strong stuff, so it will take more than a nudge to wake you up. You will not be able to drive yourself home afterward, as the medication takes some time to wear off. 

Sedation is just one of the many services we offer in hopes of changing your view of dental visits! Lots of dentists can provide lower levels of sedation like laughing gas, but only a small percentage have the qualifications to offer options like IV sedation.

We understand that a comfort menu isn't always enough to ease dental anxiety, and even patients who have a very sensitive gag reflex, allergies to certain medications, or developmental disabilities can benefit from sedation. Other good candidates may be individuals who find it hard to get numb, have an extreme fear of needles, or even those who simply don't like the sounds or smells of the dental environment. 

Don't let your fears get between you and your best smile.