With sedation dentistry, our team can provide treatments designed to help you or your loved one enter a calm and comfortable state during their treatment. We have multiple options available, and choose the best one for you based on multiple factors. In today’s blog, your Leawood, KS, dentist looks at our approach to sedation dentistry, and how we can use these treatments to help you enjoy a calm and comfortable office experience, even if you have dental anxiety!
When Do You Need a Calming Solution?
Our team typically recommends this for more involved treatments, such as tooth extraction or dental implant placement, or to conduct jawbone grafting or root canal therapy. However, for patients with dental anxiety, which can make even a simple cleaning an uncomfortable prospect, we could employ sedation to help them stay calm and receive the care needed to enjoy good oral health and shining smiles. Our team never wants to minimize the anxieties or special needs of our patients, and will find a way to make treatment a comfortable experience for everyone!
Choosing the Appropriate Option for You
We take multiple factors into account when we choose a calming agent. For example, we will look at your anxiety levels, special needs, and the presence of any dental phobias. We also look at your age, weight, and medical history. We want to evaluate any medications you are taking too. These factors allow us to choose the most appropriate treatment option for you, so you can obtain care in a calm and relaxing environment, and enjoy better oral health free of major complications that could impact smile stability!
Nitrous Oxide
One of the more commonly prescribed treatment options, nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, is safe for kids and adults alike. This is a mild calming agent, and one administered through a mask over the nose. You simply breathe in the gas and enter a state of calm and euphoria, with little memory of the procedure afterward. However, you will still be conscious and able respond to the dentist as needed. The effects last as long as the procedure and end once the treatment does. We can adjust levels throughout the procedure as needed. Since there are no lingering effects, you can often return to work or school and even drive yourself home afterward.
Oral Conscious Sedation
Oral conscious sedation keeps you conscious and again, you have little to no memory of the procedure. However, your state of calm is much deeper, so this can help with anxiety or for those undergoing more extensive treatments, like jawbone grafting or dental implant placement. You will take the medication in the form of a pill or liquid in the hours before the procedure. We recommend arriving in loose and comfortable clothing. The effects take time to wear off, so you need someone on hand to bring you home afterward. We will send any aftercare instructions or prescriptions with your friend, so you have the information you need as the treated areas heal.
IV Sedation
The deepest form of sedation is known as IV, and is administered intravenously. We will have a trained anesthesiologist on hand to monitor you throughout the procedure. You enter a sleep-like state and will have no memory of the procedure afterward. The calming agent then takes time to wear off, so you may be a bit groggy and will need someone available to take you home afterward. Again, we can provide any necessary instructions and prescriptions for medications to your friend or family member, so you have the information you need to ensure a complication-free healing period!
If you have any questions about how our team will select and administer the right sedation agent for you or your family member, then please reach out to our team. Even if you have a fear of the dentist or a bad previous experience at another practice, we’re here to make sure your visit is a positive one, so you can start receiving the care you need to ensure optimal oral health and a smile that shines. Talk to our team today to learn more!
Ready for a Calming Solution Before Your Treatment?
Even if you have dental anxiety, we want to make your appointment an enjoyable one, so you and your loved ones can obtain the care needed to ensure strong and healthy teeth and gums, and an appearance that makes you feel more confident in your daily life. Call Dreem Dentistry in Leawood, KS by calling (913)681-5500 to learn more about dental sedation, and start your journey to a bright and healthy smile!
