Sedation Dentistry
Sedation dentistry comes in different forms to help patients who have extra anxiety or other special needs. We will assess whether you are a candidate for sedation dentistry and what type of conscious or intravenous sedation you require.
Nitrous Oxide, Oral Conscious Sedation and IV Sedation
Nitrous oxide (also known as “laughing gas”) is an easy and simple way to help patients who feel anxious about dental treatment. Nitrous oxide, always combined with oxygen, is a safe gas delivered through a small mask that fits over the nose to help the patient relax. The patient remains awake and responsive throughout the entire procedure and the effects wear off within minutes. It can also work well to reduce gagging for those who have a strong gag reflexes. Before removing the mask completely, 100% oxygen is administered for several minutes to ensure that nitrous oxide is eliminated from the body.
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Oral conscious sedation dentistry is a medical procedure involving the administration of sedative drugs via an oral route, generally to facilitate a dental procedures and reduce patient anxiety related to the experience. We use a pulse oximeter and capnography to measure vital signs, blood pressure and carbon dioxide levels during treatment. Patients are not asleep, but more relaxed so the procedure can be accomplished much better.
Intravenous Sedation (IV) is a way of completing dental care while a patient is asleep. We may recommend IV sedation for those who have severe anxiety, special needs, or require extensive dental treatment. A time is reserved in our office with a specialized dental anesthesiologist to complete all of the patient’s dental treatment needs in one visit. The anesthesiologist uses all necessary equipment to monitor and provide the best care possible. Every measure is taken for the safety of our patients at all times. Our oral surgeon is also trained in IV sedation and may offer this during some oral surgery procedures.