Sedation Dentistry
What Is Sedation Dentistry?
Sedation dentistry, in short, is the use of mild anesthesia to help patients to relax during dental procedures. Your dentist will also numb the specific area of the jaw where you will be receiving the necessary dental procedure. The gentle anesthesia we administer allows us to provide the best dental care in Greensboro, NC without you having to worry about emotional distress or pain. Dental anxiety sufferers usually find these dental treatments allow them to feel calm, confident, and proactive about their dental care instead of fearful.
Whether you experience mild dental anxiety or severe dental phobia, it’s still crucial for your oral health to receive the dental care and maintenance you need. With routine dental visits, seemingly minor periodontal issues can be detected and repaired before they develop into more severe dental issues. If you do not see a dental professional regularly, you may not realize that you could be in the initial stages of periodontal disease. Contact our Greensboro dental office to schedule your next dentist appointment. Our goal is to help treat patients with dental phobias that are characterized by fear, worry, and discomfort. Once you feel secure about visiting the dentist, you can live a healthier, stress-free life.
Friendly Dentistry offers patients the best sedation dental services in the Piedmont Triad. Simply put, our priority is to help patients feel more comfortable while in the dentist’s chair. With sedation dentistry, you can lie back, breathe, and let us craft you the perfect smile– anxiety-free!
Different Types of Sedation Used in Sedation Dentistry
Sedation dentistry offers various methods to ensure patients remain calm and comfortable during dental procedures. The type of sedation used can vary depending on the procedure and the patient's level of anxiety. Here's a look at the most common forms of sedation in dentistry:
- Laughing Gas: Also known as nitrous oxide, this is a mild sedative that is inhaled through a mask placed over the nose. It helps to ease anxiety and reduce pain during dental procedures. The effects of laughing gas wear off quickly once the mask is removed, allowing patients to drive themselves home after the dentist appointment.
- Oral Sedation: This form involves taking a prescription medication orally before the procedure. The level of sedation can range from minimal to moderate depending on the dose given. With oral sedation, patients remain awake but in a relaxed state, and may have little memory of the dental procedure.
- IV Sedation: Administered directly into the bloodstream through an intravenous line, IV sedation allows the dentist to adjust the level of sedation as needed during the dental procedure. This type of sedation typically results in a deeper level of relaxation compared to laughing gas or oral sedation, and patients may not remember much about the dental treatment itself.
Each of these sedation methods has its own benefits and can be chosen based on the specific needs and health profile of the patient.
What to Expect From Our Sedation Dentistry Process
There’s no need to be afraid of being sedated during your dental procedure – it is meant to help you relax and feel comfortable. Sedation dentistry will not cause you to fall asleep, though you may feel like you woke up from a four-hour nap after the dental procedure. The light anesthesia we administer will allow you to feel relaxed, peaceful, and comfortable throughout your dental visit. In fact, many patients at Friendly Dentistry say they don’t even notice the time passing and feel completely at ease during their visit at our dentist's office.
Since many medications used in sedation dentistry have an amnesiac effect, you may even have little or no memory that the dental appointment happened at all. Don’t be alarmed. This is completely normal. Along with easing anxiety and helping us provide even better dental care, many patients say the sedation dentistry process also gives them a much-needed break!
Understanding Sedation Dentistry and Its Benefits
Sedation dentistry has revolutionized the way individuals perceive dental visits, transforming what could be a terrifying and unpleasant experience into a calm and comfortable one. It's particularly beneficial for patients who may experience dental fear or have had negative experiences during previous dentist visits. By using various levels of sedation, dentists can ensure that patients remain relaxed throughout their procedures, experiencing little to no pain.
Benefits of sedation dentistry include:
- Reduction of dental fear: Perfect for those terrified of the dentist, allowing them to receive necessary care without dental anxiety.
- Minimized discomfort: Patients with sensitive teeth or a low pain threshold find dental treatments more tolerable.
- Control of gag reflex: Helps dental patients who gag easily, making dental work smoother and quicker.
- Mitigation of fear of needles: Sedatives can be administered in ways that don't involve injections, alleviating this common fear.
- Remaining drowsy but awake: Patients can still respond to dentists' instructions without feeling any discomfort.
- Lessening anxiety: Anxious dental patients feel more at ease, making it easier to sit through procedures without feeling stressed.
- Efficiency: More work can be done in fewer visits, as patients are more cooperative and comfortable in the dental chair.
Sedation dentistry thus opens a doorway to improved oral health for those who might otherwise avoid the dentist due to fear or anxiety.
What Does The Sedation Dentistry Process Look Like?
Before Your Appointment
Your dentist will give you one pill to take orally. There is no intravenous sedation or local anesthetic used, we only use what is referred to as “conscious sedation”. The sedation medication we use is a safe, painless, and effective anesthetic with proven results.
- Before your procedure begins, we will connect you to a medical monitor, thus allowing us to track your blood pressure, pulse, and blood oxygen levels during sedation.
- If you are not comfortable enough, we can easily administer more sedation medicine, as needed, so you can relax.
- Given the time it typically takes for any form of general anesthesia to wear off, you will need a driver to take you to and from the appointment.
Whether you’re looking for cosmetic dentistry, in need of restorative dentistry, or require emergency dentistry services, give us a call at (336)-360-5838 to make your dentist appointment today. We can discuss your dental treatment options and discover sedation techniques that are right for you.
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