Sedation Dentistry
We use advanced sedation dentistry for a wide variety of in-house services. Our goal is to ensure you are comfortable, calm and relaxed through any dental treatment or dental procedure. Our team will work closely with you to assess what fears you may have and determine a treatment option that feels comfortable for you.
The Purpose of Dental Sedation
Dental sedation refers to medicine that is designed to reduce physical pain associated with treatment or to reduce anxiety and help you feel more relaxed while dental work is being completed. This makes the experience more pleasant and ensures our staff can perform their duties more effectively. We offer dental sedation in general anesthesia, laughing gas and oral conscious sedation.
Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, is the most minimal form of sedation and is easily administered through a small mask that dispenses a combination of nitrous oxide and oxygen, leaving you feeling relaxed.
Oral sedation is a minimal to moderate form of sedation, depending on the dosage. You will be administered a pill to take orally about an hour before your treatment. This will leave you feeling drowsy and relaxed, but will not put you to sleep.
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What is laughing gas and what does it do?
Laughing gas is Nitrous Oxide and is commonly used as a local sedation method. It’s colorless and odorless and its usefulness stems from its ability to quickly work and safely reverse its affects. It is a widely considered safe dental sedation method.
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What type of anesthesia are used for dental work?
The most common types of anesthesia used are local anesthesia, IV sedation and general anesthesia. Local anesthesia is a numbing medication that is injected directly in the area that is to be treated—usually the gums around an effected tooth. In contrast, general anesthesia produces a more profound experience that usually leaves no memory of the actual procedure. It’s typically used for more intensive procedures like tooth extraction, dental implants or other surgical procedures and the patient is unconscious during the process. IV sedation is a deeper type of anesthesia that achieves a period of brief sedation with very little memory of the surgery.
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What should I expect with IV Sedation?
IV sedation does a great job of managing both pain and anxiety. An advantage of IV sedation is that the medicine takes effect very quickly and also wears off in a timely manner. Since the medicine is strong, the patient will need to arrange for another part to take them home after the procedure. This is the sedation method used for most oral surgeries.
Questions About Sedation Dentistry?
If you have any questions about sedation dentistry—request an appointment today, or explore all of our available dental services.