Imagine undergoing a complex dental treatment like a root canal, extraction, or oral surgery. When your treatment is complete, you have no recollection of the time it took, the pain, the noise, or the discomfort you were expecting.
We are pleased to offer our patients the option of comfortable, safe, and effective sedation dentistry. Patients who benefit from sedation dentistry have:
- Fear or anxiety of being at the dentist
- Difficulty sitting still for long periods of time
- A hard time getting (and staying) numb from anesthetics
- Have an overactive gag reflex
What is sedation dentistry?
Sedation dentistry enables Dr. Leland to provide a variety of dental treatments safely and comfortably for patients who experience anxiety when having dental treatment. There are several benefits to sedation dentistry, including:
- No memory of undergoing the procedure
- No sense of time while under sedation
- No sense of smell or sound
- No fear or anxiety during treatment
Patients who have undergone a procedure using sedation dentistry will tell you it is a simple, relaxing way to experience dentistry.
I am nervous about being unconscious; what levels of sedation are available to me?
- Minimal Sedation — Anxiolysis is the lightest form of sedation dentistry and is often used for patients with mild anxiety, longer procedures, or more complex situations. Mild sedation is usually administered orally. You remain awake but very sleepy throughout the entire procedure and are able to breathe on your own, but you will feel a great sense of relaxation. Patients typically recover from anxiolysis sedation within a few hours after the procedure is complete.
- Moderate Sedation — With moderate conscious sedation, the patient is responsive to light stimuli and will be able to breathe on his or her own without a breathing tube (intubation or advanced airway).
- In both Minimal and Moderate Sedation — The patient is continuously monitored with EKG, pulse oximetry, and in some cases, capnography as well as blood pressure, pulse, and respiratory rate.
How are sedatives administered?
- IV Sedation — Dr. Leland will administer the medicine through the IV tubing.
- Oral — The patient is given two small pills which, taken about an hour before your dental care will commence, will have you fully relaxed before the treatment begins.
Please contact our practice to schedule a consultation, learn more about sedation dentistry, and find out whether sedation dentistry may be right for you.
