Many individuals experience severe anxiety or uncontrollable fear when it comes to visiting a dentist.
For those patients, we are happy to offer sedation dentistry. Sedation dentistry helps reduce anxiety during your visit to the dentist, enabling patients to handle the stress of anything from an invasive dental procedure to a simple teeth cleaning.
Not all dental practices offer sedation dentistry. Our dentists are uniquely trained and certified in sedation dentistry, allowing us to provide you with nitrous oxide or an anti-anxiety medication prior to your procedure. Oral sedation ranges from minimal to moderate, meaning that you may find yourself anywhere from a state of subtle relaxation to a more moderate level of conscious sedation, where you are awake but may not remember much of your procedure.
HOW DOES SEDATION DENTISTRY WORK?
If you are a candidate for sedation dentistry, we will provide you with a mild benzodiazepine about one hour prior to your procedure. We will adjust your dose based on the level of sedation necessary to ensure comfort. The medication will make you drowsy, but will not put you completely to sleep.
Sedation dentistry may be employed prior to any dental procedure that is causing you fear or anxiety. It’s also a viable option for patients who:
- Have a low threshold for pain
- Are unable to sit still in the dentist’s chair
- Have highly sensitive teeth
- Have a highly sensitive gag reflex
- Need a significant amount of dental work
IS SEDATION DENTISTRY RIGHT FOR YOU?
If you are one of the many people who would prefer to live with oral pain than visit a dentist due to fear or anxiety, sedation dentistry may be a good option for you. To learn more about our office and how we can help reduce anxiety at the dentist, complete the brief form below and a member of our team will contact you to schedule a complimentary consultation.
