Our office offers several methods to help make the patient’s dental experience as calm and comforting as possible. Dental sedation is a wonderful option for those experiencing dental anxiety. Depending on the extent of anxiety, different sedation options are available:
General Sedation
We partner with an anesthesiologist who will come to our office for deep or general sedation. They will provide the sedation services and monitor your health throughout the procedure, while we provide the oral care you need.
Laughing Gas
Nitrous oxide, also known as “laughing gas” is commonly used to make treatment more comfortable. We find this treatment to be especially safe and effective for adults and young children. Nitrous oxide is inhaled through a mask and induces a state of relaxation. The levels of nitrous oxide can be adjusted throughout the procedure depending on the patient’s comfort level.
Although the patient feels relaxed, most patients still need local anesthetic to fully eliminate discomfort during a dental procedure. It is not necessary to have someone drive a patient home from an appointment in which nitrous oxide was administered.
Mild Oral Sedation
After reviewing a patient’s medical history, our dentists can safely prescribe specific sedative drugs to be used prior to the dental appointment. Some of these medications have significant amnesic effects, resulting in limited memory of the dental procedure the following day. In this case, the patient will need to have someone drive them to and from the dental appointment.