For many, dental care is a nearly impossible task to complete because of anxiety or fear. This could be due to a poor experience with a previous dentist or because of a low tolerance for treatments overall. Regardless of the cause, those who cannot get the care they need are only putting themselves at greater risk for dental disease. To make their care possible, our dental office provides every level of sedation available, including sedation typically seen only in hospitals! If you struggle to get dental treatments because of anxiety, give our dental office a call to learn more about sedation dentistry in Kaufman!
Those with moderate levels of dental anxiety can find comfort in oral conscious sedation, a common form of dental sedation. This sedative is taken orally and allows you to feel incredibly relaxed by the time your appointment begins. Since the effects can take some time to take hold, it is recommended that you take it several hours before your treatment begins. You’ll still be awake so that you can answer our questions and inform us of your current comfort levels.
Oral conscious sedation is one of the most common forms of dental sedation. After having a thorough review of your medical history, any medications you are taking, and any allergies that you may have, we can confirm whether or not oral conscious sedation is worth a try. You will need to take the pill prescribed by your dentist approximately an hour before your appointment.
This sedation option is not meant to put you to sleep. You will still be able to communicate with your dentist while feeling completely laid back and relaxed. Because of how effective this sedative is, you will need to arrange for a trusted friend or family member to drive you to and from the practice. It’s also important to wait until the sedative has completely worn off before you resume normal activities. This can take up to 24 hours.
Oral conscious sedation is an excellent option for patients who struggle with the following:
For more mild cases of anxiety or fear, nitrous oxide is a fast-acting and effective sedative for those who struggle to get dental care. A combination of both oxygen and nitrous, nitrous oxide is administered through a nasal mask that is worn throughout treatment. There’s no need to prepare for nitrous oxide ahead of time; once you arrive, we can begin administering the sedative right away and provide a calming sensation throughout your treatment.
Learn More About Nitrous Oxide Sedation
If you have a more severe level of anxiety or fear, one of the strongest forms of sedation dentistry we offer is IV (intravenous) sedation. Through this method, we can provide strong sedatives directly through your veins for immediate effects. Keep in mind that despite the strength of IV sedation, you’ll still be awake to let us know how you’re feeling and whether you need more sedative to feel relaxed. IV sedation is also ideal for those with mental disabilities that prevent them from keeping still in the dental chair for long periods of time.
Unlike sedation dentistry, general anesthesia is designed to put you into a sleep-like state. While it is more commonly used in medical procedures like surgery, our dental office has the expertise and training to safely administer and regulate medications associated with general anesthesia. If you need a large amount of dental care performed, general anesthesia may also be ideal for your treatment. If you’re extremely sensitive to discomfort, you’ll be glad to know that this procedure removes all signals and reflexes to the brain during treatment.
Learn More About General Anesthesiology
At Texas Dentistry, our goal is to always ensure our patients are as comfortable as possible when they’re in our office. That’s why we offer multiple sedation options for those with sever anxiety or other issues that make receiving dental care difficult. On this page, you’ll find the answers to a few of the questions we get asked the most often about sedation dentistry, but don’t be afraid to contact our team to learn more.
While sedation dentistry is most commonly used for patients with extreme dental anxiety or phobia, it can be used in a variety of other situations. We might recommend sedation for patients who:
If you’re interested in sedation dentistry, let our team know. Our dentists can go over your medical history, general health, and current medications to determine if you’re a good candidate for sedation, and if so, which type is best for you.
It depends. One of the main benefits of nitrous oxide sedation is that its effects wear off as quickly as they set in. Once you have stopped inhaling the sedative, you should be able to drive yourself home and resume your day as normal within about thirty minutes.
However, all of the other types of sedation, particular oral conscious, generally last for several hours after your procedure. If this is the case, we recommend that you arrange for someone to drive you to and from our office.
Yes! When administered by a trained professional such as our dentists, sedation dentistry is perfectly safe. We’ll be sure to calculate the perfect dosage for you so that you can safely relax in the dental chair. Sedation, particular nitrous oxide, is even safe for kids! It can help children with mild levels of dental fear or anxiety receive the care their growing smiles need.
Dental sedatives suppress the brain’s ability to register pain. Additionally, we may also administer a numbing agent to your mouth, depending on the type of treatment you’re undergoing. As a result, you shouldn’t feel pain during your procedure. With more extensive procedures, you may experience some soreness afterward, but we’ll provide you with aftercare instructions to minimize discomfort.
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