Few people love the dentist. Due to media portrayals, past experiences, physical difficulties, and the general dread of the unknown, it’s extremely common for humans to feel uncomfortable about the dentist. Sometimes this leads to severe anxiety or even panic.
Despite these fears, your teeth still need good health care. So what can be done?
Coleman Burgess, DDS, offers you a great solution: Sedation dentistry.
What is Sedation Dentistry?
Sedation is not the same as going unconscious. You will not be groggy. There will be no long-lasting effects. Sedation is simply a method to medically relax you while your treatments are happening.
This form of sedation reduces muscle tension, which is great for those with a strong gag reflex or jaw pain. It acts as an anxiolytic, thus reducing any dental anxiety to manageable levels. Best of all, it is not limited to complicated surgeries or procedures. Even something as simple as a cavity filling can be done while you are sedated.
Nitrous Oxide
There are many different types of dental sedation, both conscious and unconscious. Our preferred form of sedation is nitrous oxide (N2O). This is a time-tested, extremely safe method to use with any dental procedure.
Also known as laughing gas, nitrous has been used in medical procedures since the late 1800s. Nitrous has several benefits, making it one of the most popular forms of sedation in the dental industry.
Our bodies don’t absorb nitrous oxide. Once the flow of the gas is turned off, recovery is extremely fast, with no lingering side-effects or grogginess. You can even drive yourself home from the appointment.
Because nitrous is a gas, it does not have to be administered intravenously. No needles required!
Nitrous is hypoallergenic. Unlike many other medicines available in our modern market, nitrous does not have severe side-effects or produce any known allergic reactions, when administered in proper doses.
While it does not replace the local anesthetics used for your procedures, nitrous does have a slight anesthetic effect of its own. This adds that little bit of extra comfort and relaxation during your treatments.
Talk to Us About Your Sedation Options
If you experience any fears, panic, or stress about going in to see the dentist, sedation dentistry may be just the answer for you. Give us a call to talk about your options. We’ll help you keep a healthy smile with as much comfort as possible.