Going to the dentist isn’t anyone’s favorite activity, but for some, just the idea of a dental visit is enough to make a chill go up their spine. This dental phobia is far from rare, and it leads many patients to avoid regular care until they are in an extreme amount of dental pain, which usually leads to even more dental-related anxiety!
At Chisholm Trail Dental Health, we do our best to create a friendly and comfortable atmosphere that can help even the most nervous patient relax. For those that require a little more care, sedation dentistry can easily help persistent dental nerves melt away. We offer a variety of sedation options that can be completely tailored to every patient, ensuring that despite whatever kind of treatment they may need, they will feel calm and cool the entire time.
Sedation can be safely used with both children and adults, and we would be happy to discuss your options to ensure that your next appointment is 100% stress-free. Give us a call today to learn more.
The most popular types of dental sedation are nitrous oxide, oral conscious sedation, and IV sedation. Different levels of sedation (mild, moderate and deep) can be utilized depending on individual needs. Before administering any sedative, Dr. Asay will analyze the full medical history of a patient, taking note of any current medications.
Here is an overview of some of the most common types of dental sedatives:
For patients who experience mild to moderate dental phobia, oral conscious sedation is usually our top recommendation. Oral medication is prescribed prior to treatment, and the patient will be instructed to take it the day of their appointment. This approach helps someone feel completely physically and mentally relaxed in the chair, but they will likely not fall asleep. Time will seem to fly by quickly, and most patients have little to no memory of their visit afterward.
You probably know nitrous oxide by another name—“laughing gas.” It’s perfect for patients who need just a little help relaxing during their routine checkups and cleanings, and it’s so gentle that we can even use it with small children. Once inhaled, a patient will quickly feel calmer as all anxiety drains out of them. We can adjust the amount of nitrous oxide a patient is receiving throughout their appointment based on their comfort level. Afterward, a patient won’t experience any lasting drowsiness or numbness from the sedation, meaning they can go straight back to their day.
With IV sedation, a sedative is administered directly into the bloodstream to help a patient quickly relax and feel a sense of calm. We typically use this for shorter procedures, and most patients say that it makes them feel like they slept through their appointment (though most remain conscious the entire time). We recommend IV sedation for patients with extreme dental phobia or who have mental/physical special needs that make receiving routine care difficult and/or uncomfortable.
Dr. Asay can prescribe one of a number of different sedatives based on a patient’s anxiety level and the length of the procedure they need. The ones he uses most often are:
If you experience anxiety or fear at the thought of visiting your dentist in Round Rock, you might benefit from receiving some form of sedation during your appointment. However, many patients are uncertain of how it works or whether it will make enough of a difference. To help put your mind at ease, we’ve taken the time to answer a few of the questions about dental sedation that we get asked the most often here at Chisholm Trail Dental Health.
Sedation dentistry is ideal for patients with any degree of anxiety surrounding the thought of getting dental work done, but that’s not all it does. Patients with a low pain threshold, sensitive teeth or gums, or an overactive gag reflex may benefit from sedation since it suppresses pain receptors and paralyzes the gag reflex. It can also help patients who have trouble keeping their mouth open or sitting still for long periods of time, such as hyperactive children or patients with special needs.
Patients with certain conditions, such as pregnancy or high blood pressure, may not be candidates for sedation dentistry. Dr. Asay can discuss your eligibility during a consultation.
Yes, sedation dentistry is perfectly safe for patients of any age, including young children. Your medical history will be evaluated before undergoing sedation to minimize the already low risk of adverse side effects. Not to mention, your vitals will be closely monitored by a member of your team throughout your procedure.
Once we administer the sedative, your sedation dentist in Round Rock will also use a local anesthetic to numb your mouth before your treatment begins. This, coupled with the fact that all of our sedatives lower your level of awareness, should be more than enough to prevent you from feeling any discomfort during your procedure.
It’s a common misconception that sedation dentistry puts you to sleep. Even with IV sedation, you will most likely remain conscious throughout your whole procedure. You’ll simply reach a level of relaxation that’s so deep that it may feel like you’ve fallen asleep. With oral conscious and IV sedation, you might briefly lose consciousness during your appointment, but we can gently nudge you awake if need be.
Most likely, no. All of the sedatives we use have been known to produce an amnesiac effect, so you probably won’t remember what happened after the sedative wears off. In addition, time will appear to move much more quickly to you; an hour-long appointment may seem like it passed by in five minutes or so.