Everything You Need to Know About Sedation Dentistry

At Maitland Ave Smile Co., we understand that dental anxiety can be debilitating. It can impact your oral health, preventing you from keeping up with your biannual professional cleaning and check-ups. Unfortunately, as you continue to avoid the dentist, your dental concerns often become more complex and harder to treat.

With these thoughts in mind, we offer sedation dentistry as a way to keep you calm and ensure that you get the dental care you need.

We work closely with our patients, taking the time to understand their concerns and educate them on their upcoming procedure(s). Choosing the right sedation depends on their health history, anxiety level, type of procedure, and personal comfort. We offer two types of sedation dentistry:

Nitrous Oxide

Also known as laughing gas, nitrous oxide is a widely used option for pain-free sedation dentistry. To use, dentists place a mask over the patient’s mouth and nose so the patient can easily inhale the gas. The effects usually take hold within a few minutes, making you feel drowsy but still awake and responsive. Most importantly, the effects go away very quickly, allowing patients to drive themselves home and continue with their day. This sedative is often used for shorter procedures.

Oral Sedation

When oral sedation is used, patients take a pill at least an hour before their procedures. Dentists can vary the dosage based on the patient’s anxiety and type of treatment. Like nitrous oxide, the patient feels groggy but is still able to respond. However, the side effects last for four to six hours, inhibiting patients from driving or returning to work/school after their appointment. This option generally works best for more time-consuming procedures.

Sedation dentistry is not only a solution for individuals struggling with dental fear or anxiety.

It may also help patients who:

• Struggle with a strong gag reflex
• Have sensitive teeth
• Have had a traumatic or negative experience at the dentist
• Need multiple treatments completed during a single visit

It can be used to make any dental treatment easier, including but not limited to:

• Cavity filling: Here, sedation dentistry is especially beneficial for younger patients.
• Wisdom tooth removal: Wisdom teeth erupt later in life and often wind up in strange positions. Their removal can be difficult, especially when facing a “hidden” wisdom tooth, so sedation is often used for a more comfortable patient experience.
• Dental implants
• Jaw surgery: This procedure may be used to treat sleep apnea, jaw misalignment, and other conditions. It takes a long time to perform, making sedation important.
• Bone grafting: Bone grafting may be needed to ensure dentures fit well over your natural teeth.
• Emergency dental treatment

Ultimately, our team aims to create a safe and compassionate environment for high-quality dental care. Throughout your care, we work to keep you knowledgeable and comfortable as we develop a unique treatment plan that addresses all of your oral health needs.

We hope you’ll choose Maitland Ave Smile Co. for your dental needs!

 

Call us at 407.834.0330 to schedule your appointment today! Check out our Dental Blog to learn more about topics like your family’s dental routine, dental anxiety, and more.