Sedation dentistry is one of the methods we use to provide patients with a relaxed feeling when they are receiving dental work. Quite often children are nervous or scared about needing dental work, and sedation dentistry allows them to receive proper dental treatment without needing to be concerned. Often referred to as “laughing gas”, sedation dentistry has been used to help patients that fear visiting the dentist or having dental work done. Sedation can be used for a number of procedures, from a tooth cleaning to more invasisive dental work. We do recommend you speak to our staff about your dental concerns, and if you do have health-related issues that could cause problems with sedation.
Inhaled Sedation
When you receive inhaled sedation, you are breathing in nitrous oxide. We monitor the gas to ensure our patients are safe, and receiving the proper dosage to assist them in relaxing while having dental procedures done. We use a mask that is placed over the nose for patients to breathe in the sedation. The gas tends to wear off quickly so most patients have no problem walking out the door, and adults are normally capable of driving after it wears off in a few minutes.
Oral Sedation
Oral sedation is necessary for patients with medical concerns or health issues when receiving dental work. Patients with high anxiety often find the thought of visiting the dentist to cause panic attacks. Oral sedation is a pill, normally Halicon, which is a drug in the same family as Valium. Patients take the medication an hour prior to treatment. The medication relaxes the body, so patients will be drowsy but will still remain awake during treatment. We do not recommend driving while on this medication due to the drowsy side effects.
Additional Sedation Dentistry Options
There are additional sedation dentistry options known as IV moderate sedation and general anesthesia. IV sedation is when a patient receives medication through a vein, which does work quickly. General anesthesia is when a patient needs to be unconscious for the procedure.
At Leavitt Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, we work hard to ensure our patients enjoy their experience in our office. If you do have a fear of the dentist, please tell us. Our staff wants to do all that we can to accommodate you and make your visit a pleasant experience.
