Dental anxiety is a very real and debilitating condition. The condition prevents many people from getting basic dental care and more advanced treatments. Instead of sacrificing your oral health because of worries about being at the dentist or having someone work on your teeth, ask the dental team at Beachside Smiles about sedation dentistry and how this option can help you have a positive dental experience.
Types of Sedation Dentistry
Several types of sedation dentistry are available and, depending on the work you’re having done, they can be used along with numbing treatments. This combination prevents the patient from feeling physical discomfort and allows both body and mind to relax.
- Nitrous oxide: More commonly known as laughing gas, nitrous oxide is administered through a small mask placed over the nose during the entire treatment. Within a minute, the calming effects are felt, and most patients remain conscious during their procedure. Typically, there are no side effects and the gas wears off after the mask is removed.
- Oral conscious sedation: Patients who need a heartier sedation during their dental care can opt for oral conscious sedation. A prescription medication is taken just before the dental visit to produce a sense of calm and relaxation. You may not drive to or from your appointment when a sedative is administered. You will remain fully alert throughout treatment, but anxiety and fear will disappear, and some people do not even remember getting dental work done.
- IV sedation: With IV sedation, a sedative medication is delivered directly into a vein for the deepest form of relaxation. With this form of sedation dentistry, you may doze off into a light sleep while in the dentist’s chair. All sedated patients are closely monitored for comfort and safety. IV sedation is a good choice for patients undergoing multiple procedures or tooth extractions.
Reasons to Get Sedation Dentistry
Sedation dentistry can be used for teeth cleanings, porcelain veneers, root canals, extensive mouth reconstruction, and nearly every dental procedure. Here are some of the most common reasons patients want sedation dentistry for their dental visit:
- Scared of the dentist: Dental anxiety is so high for some patients, often because of a bad prior experience, they need this type of dentistry to spend any time in the dentist’s chair.
- Having multiple procedures done at once: Your dentist can work more efficiently when you are calm, and patients who need multiple treatments can get all their work done during fewer visits when sedated.
- Want to minimize number of appointments: Don’t have extra time to spare for several dental visits? Sedation dentistry lets you rest through your appointments while your dentist works faster to reduce how many appointments you need, saving both time and money.
- Sensitivity: If you have a gag reflex, fear the dentist’s hands and tools being in your mouth, or are jumpy in the dental chair, sedation can take you to a place of calm where typical worries do not interfere with dental care.
- Severe pain or trauma: If you suffer a serious mouth injury or trauma or you are in severe pain, sedation dentistry helps reduce the panic and fear so your dentist can do the emergency work that needs to be done quickly.
Get Sedation Dentistry in Manhattan Beach
There are some dental procedures that automatically qualify a patient for this type of dentistry so they can be at ease. These include dental implants, wisdom tooth extraction, root canal therapy, and emergency dentistry. Sedation, though, can be used for any dental procedure. If you feel you need something to calm you down, contact your Manhattan Beach dentist at Beachside Smiles to discuss the options. Find out how sedation dentistry can help you get the dental care you need.
