Don’t let a fear of the dentist get you anxious about making a dental appointment. Our team at Coastal General Dentistry can help you. At Coastal General Dentistry, we make sure that our patients feel confident and comfortable in our office. To make this goal a reality, we provide dental sedation options for anxious and fearful patients.
Dental sedation is a general dental service that we offer to our patients. Patients that are undergoing oral surgery and lengthy procedures benefit from oral sedation. Dental sedation can also help our patients who suffer from dental fears, dental phobias, and patients with special needs.
Sedation is a safe treatment method and a great way for anxious patients to receive dental care. Continue reading to learn about the different types of dental sedation options at our Virginia Beach, VA, dental office.
What is Sedation Dentistry?
Sedation dentistry uses sedative medications to reduce anxiety and pain associated with dental procedures. Sometimes patients refer to it as “sleep dentistry” because some relax so well that they fall asleep during the procedure. Sedation dentistry can help those with extreme dental anxiety or even phobias about going to the dentist.
Sedation dentistry offers many benefits. Patients can experience less discomfort and shorter recovery times. You can also expect improved oral health outcomes and increased safety in the dental office. More benefits include the following:
- It helps reduce fear and anxiety. Sedation dentistry uses sedative medication to help people relax and manage their fear and anxiety. This allows them to remain still during the procedure and they won’t feel any pain or discomfort.
- It reduces the amount of time the procedure takes. Because the patient is relaxed and still, the dentist can complete the procedure more quickly and effectively. This also contributes to quick recovery times.
- It helps prevent physical reactions to fear. Some people can have a physical reaction to fear such as increased heart rate, sweating, or heightened gag reflex. Sedation dentistry minimizes these physical reactions.
- It helps prevent memory of the procedure. Since the patient is under sedation, they aren’t likely to remember much of the procedure. This can keep any fear associated with the experience at bay.
- It makes the dental experience more pleasant and treatments pain-free. The dental experience can be more pleasant for a sedated patient. They may even be more likely to have regular dental checkups in the future without sedation.
If you or a loved one require arrangements with sedation, contact our office before your next visit. Our friendly dental team is always happy to help you find the right type of sedation for your specific needs. We want to ensure that you feel relaxed and comfortable during your dental procedures.
Common Types of Dental Sedation Options
Dentists can offer several kinds of sedation dentistry. Our Virginia Beach dental office will work with you to determine the best option for your specific case. The following are common types of dental sedation options that you should to know about.
Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas)
Nitrous oxide is the mildest form of sedation. This means it has little impact on a patient’s ability to stay awake and aware. You inhale the gas through a small mask that our dentist places over your nose.
Nitrous oxide affects the body quickly and has short-lived effects. The gas reduces anxiousness and helps a patient tolerate treatments that might cause discomfort. Nitrous oxide is safe for all ages under supervision.
Oral Conscious Sedation
Oral conscious sedation is a stronger form of sedation than nitrous oxide. Conscious sedation is better for longer or more intense dental procedures. It involves taking a medication, usually in pill form, by mouth before the procedure.
Under oral conscious sedation, patients may be conscious but will not feel any pain. It also takes time for this sedation to wear off. We will require patients to get a ride to and from their appointment.
Intravenous (IV) Sedation
Intravenous sedation is a form of conscious sedation that delivers anti-anxiety medication through a vein, into the bloodstream. We may use IV sedation and other types of sedation for longer dental procedures. IV sedation is beneficial for root canal procedures or wisdom teeth extractions.
Patients may also communicate with dentists under IV sedation, although they will forget about the procedure. Additionally, patients under intravenous sedation feel deeply relaxed and do not feel any pain during treatment.
General Anesthesia
General anesthesia is the strongest form of sedation. It makes the patient completely unconscious during the dental procedure. We may recommend general anesthesia for more complex surgeries. Patients with extreme anxiety that prevents them from being able to cooperate during a procedure benefit as well.
Our dental office usually provides dental sedation in conjunction with local anesthesia. Sometimes, you will still have mild discomfort in your mouth while under sedation. A local anesthetic numbs the mouth so the patient will not feel any pain or feeling in their mouth during their procedure.
Schedule a Worry-free Dental Consultation
Alleviate dental fear or anxiety while at the dentist using dental sedation today. Please let us know if you require arrangements before your next visit. You can call our dental office at 757-216-9914 or request a dental appointment online! If you have remaining concerns or questions for our dentists, let us know right away or at your next appointment.