If you have been avoiding getting the dental care you need because of anxiety, Conscious Sedation can give you the peace of mind you need in order to undergo dental work. You may enjoy better overall health, an improved self-image and better quality of life with a healthy, beautiful smile.

 

Who should consider oral conscious sedation?

 

You may want to consider oral sedation if you:

• are anxious about dental treatment and dental instruments

• had a previous traumatic dental experience

• have a sensitive gag reflex

• suffer from any health issues (such as neck pain) which could lead to discomfort while sitting in a dental chair

• need a longer appointment or need extensive work done

 

We offer FREE sedation consultations, where you can talk to your dentist about your fears and concerns before your appointment for dental work. Your dentist will recommend the type of sedation that will be most suitable for you based on your needs and your medical history. Sometimes patients who have sensitive nerves or small mouths need sedation, simply because procedures cause more pain and discomfort in these patients. Other patients need sedation to overcome anxieties and fears associated with the dentist.

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Sedation dentistry uses medication, nitrous oxide (laughing gas), or a combination of both to help patients relax during dental procedures. Though you’re awake during your procedure, most patients remember either very little or nothing at all of the appointment after it’s happened. You will be hooked up to equipment that monitors your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing. The sedative will leave you feeling sleepy, but by the next day all the effects will have worn off. You’ll need a ride home from our office, so plan with a friend or family member in advance. Although your dental procedures may take hours, you may feel as if they take only minutes. 

 

Nitrous oxide is used to relax patients during dental procedures. You’ll be conscious while taking laughing gas, but because it’s a gas, it wears off very quickly once you stop breathing it in. Patients who only receive laughing gas as a sedative are often allowed to drive themselves home after a procedure.

When you receive laughing gas, the dentist gives you a nose apparatus through which you breathe the gas. The effects are very mild, and you’ll start to feel the gas very quickly, sometimes as soon as 30 seconds after you start breathing it in. Some patients relax enough with nitrous oxide and do not require another form of sedation. 

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