When people have anxiety about pain or about the dentist in general, they often opt for what is sometimes called sleep dentistry.  Dental sedation  make sleep dentistry possible. Find out about the options, at your consultation.

Laughing Gas

Nitrous oxide, more commonly known as laughing gas, is used to relax patients during dental procedures. You’ll be conscious while taking laughing gas, but because it’s a gas, it wears off very quickly once you stop breathing it in. Patients who only receive laughing gas as a sedative are often allowed to drive themselves home after a procedure.

When you receive laughing gas, the dentist gives you a nose apparatus through which you breathe the gas. The effects are very mild, and you’ll start to feel the gas very quickly, sometimes as soon as 30 seconds after you start breathing it in. Some patients relax enough with nitrous oxide and do not require another form of sedation. Other patients need laughing gas on top of oral sedation.

Oral Sedation

Oral sedation, also called "conscious sedation" involves you taking a prescribed dose of sedative before your procedure. You may take the oral medication an hour before you have the procedure. This type of sedation leaves you awake for the procedure, but significantly relaxes you. Patients who have higher levels of anxiety often benefit from this type of dentistry.

Though you’re awake during your procedure, most patients remember either very little or nothing at all of the appointment after it’s happened. Depending on your case, while you’re under oral sedation, you may be hooked up to equipment that monitors your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing, or you may not require that kind of monitoring. It depends on factors which your dentist will determine. The sedative will leave you feeling sleepy, but by the next day all the effects will have worn off. You’ll need a ride home from the dentist, though, so plan with a friend or family member in advance.

Do I Need Sedation Dentistry?

Schedule your consultation about your fears and concerns before your appointment for dental work. We will recommend the type of sedation that will help in your specific case. Sometimes patients who have sensitive nerves or small mouths need sedation, simply because procedures cause more pain and discomfort in these patients. Other patients need sedation to overcome anxieties and fears associated with the dentist or with medical procedures.

Dental sedation is a common way people conquer anxiety or pain during visits to the dentist. Don’t put off your next visit because of anxiety; Schedule your next procedure with dental sedation. 864.244.3211 appointment@nicklesdental.com