Sedation Dentistry

Most people can manage dental treatment with little more than some slight anxiety. For some people however, going to the dentist is a lot more difficult. Whether it was a bad experience as a child or some other issues, the fear makes it very difficult for some people to take care of themselves. We know that people who avoid dental treatment due to excessive fear and anxiety don't get the work they know they want and need. Dental phobias are serious business and we treat them as such. We make no judgments of individuals or their reasons for needing sedation dentistry.

Sleep dentistry allows dentists to help the apprehensive patient, who may have had painful dental care in the past or a traumatic experience in the dental chair, get the anxiety-free dentistry care they need pain-free we can offer all the treatments under oral and IV sedation. IV sedation is works by introducing a sedative agent through the veins putting the person almost to sleep. This is for the nervous patients to reduce their anxiety and give them a more relaxing experience.

"Sedation Dentistry" can also be done by taking a sedative tranquilizer medicine and may be supplemented by medicated air to breathe containing nitrous oxide. Instructions must be carefully followed for "sedation dentistry" procedures because, although it is very safe, you will definitely be sedated.

Be sure someone can pick you up, drive you to the office and hold your arm as you walk into the office. You will be awake but very relaxed, you might be woozy and disoriented, so you cannot walk alone.

After your visit, you will find that you won't remember very much, even though you'll feel fine. You must be accompanied by a responsible adult who can also take you home and keep an eye on you for the next few hours. Even though you may think you feel okay, you could lose your balance and slip and fall, so be sure to take it easy for the rest of the day.

Monitoring devices, some of which evaluate breathing, blood pressure and heart rate, will be employed to help ensure the safety of the procedure.

All aspects of your medical history, including any drugs you may be taking, should be disclosed to the dentist before any dental care.

Who is a Candidate For Sleep Dentistry?

People who have...

• high fear
• traumatic dental experiences
• difficulty getting numb
• a bad gag reflex
• very sensitive teeth
• complex dental problems
• limited time to complete dental care

People who...

• hate needles and shots!
• hate the noises, smells, and tastes associated with dental care
• are afraid or embarassed about their teeth

Please contact our clinic if you have any questions or concerns and we will gladly assist you.

Type of Sedation Procedures?

Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas)
Light sedation which will last for the entire procedure. You will be able to drive yourself home after the treatment completion. You are conscious and aware during mild sedation, but stress is reduced.

Oral Sedation
To relax you, medication is taken 1 hour before your appointment. Make sure there is someone to accompany you and to drive you home. You are conscious and aware during mild sedation, but stress is reduced.

Nitrous Oxide & Oral Medication (Combined Sedation)
Produces a feeling of complete relaxation. Produces a twilight-like sleep where you are responsive to verbal direction while you “daydream.” You might be aware of your procedure but you won't feel or recall any pain. Make sure there is someone to accompany you and to drive you home.

Intravenous Sedation
For those who require a deep, sleep-like dental visit. Patients are sedated but awake and remember very little about the procedure or comments made. Make sure there is someone to accompany you and to drive you home. This is an excellent, safe, and predictable form of sedation for many patients.

General Anesthesia
An anaesthetic that allows for the deepest level of sedation. This is performed at Awake or Asleep by a medical anaesthetist. Patients will be asleep for the duration of the treatment(s) and supervised throughout by an anesthesiologist (medical doctor) and registered nurse (RN).

What is anesthesia?

The word 'anesthesia' means 'loss of sensation'. Today, safe and effective methods of anesthesia allow surgery to be performed on millions of patients each year. You should know a few important things about anesthesia:

• most importantly, it stops you from feeling pain and
  other sensations during your operation
• it can be given in various ways
• not all anesthesia makes you unconscious
• it can be directed to different parts of the body

Drugs that cause anesthesia work by blocking the signals that pass along your nerves to your brain. When the drugs wear off, you start to feel normal sensations again, including pain. Some of these medications work on your whole body, while some of the medications work directly on the nerves going to parts of your body.

What are the types of anesthesia?

There are basically three types of anesthesia in use today: general anesthesia, regional anesthesia and local anesthesia. In addition, sedation medication may be used before and/or during various forms of anesthesia for your comfort.

General anesthesia is a state of controlled unconsciousness during which you feel nothing and may be described as 'anesthetized'. For some operations, general anesthesia may be the only option for safe care during surgery. In other operations, general anesthesia may be an alternative to regional anesthesia. During general anesthesia, anesthetic medications are injected into a vein, or anesthetic gases may be breathed into the lungs. When these medications are carried to the brain by the blood, they effectively "numb" the brain, and produce unconsciousness. Other medications are given to prevent pain and relax the muscles of the body. During general anesthesia, you may need assistance to support adequate breathing. In this case, you may have a breathing tube placed after you have fallen asleep. General anesthesia produces a period of controlled unconsciousness, which is quite different from sleep, and is also different from unconsciousness due to disease or injury. At the end of surgery, as the anesthetic drugs wear off, your consciousness starts to return

Local anesthesia numbs a small part of your body. It is used when the nerves can easily be reached by injections, drops, sprays, or ointments. You stay conscious but free from pain.