Sedation Dentistry – DeSoto, TX
Beat Dental Anxiety with Powerful Sedation
If you avoid going to the dentist because you have anxiety, fear or phobias of the dental office, just know that you are not the only one. Millions of Americans avoid going to the dentist out of fear every single year, putting them at higher risk of developing dental disease and overlooking important aspects of their oral and overall health. With powerful, safe and effective sedation options at Amaze Dental, you no longer have to suffer with anxiety just to get your treatments completed.
Why Choose Amaze Dental for Sedation Dentistry?
- Nitrous Oxide for Fast-Acting Sedative Effects
- Oral Conscious Sedation for More Significant Anxiety
- Experienced and Caring Dentist and Team Members
Oral Conscious Sedation
If you suffer from moderate to severe levels of dental fear or anxiety, oral conscious sedation may be the ideal option for you. This method of sedation is taken orally several hours before your treatment, allowing the sedative’s effects to take hold. Once you arrive at the dental office, you should be fully relaxed and prepared to receive care. Continue reading to learn more about how this treatment works.
What Is Oral Conscious Sedation?
Oral conscious sedation is usually recommended for adults who have anxiety, fear, or something else that makes them feel uncomfortable in the dental chair. There aren’t any needles or face masks involved. Instead, you will be prescribed a small pill to take about an hour before your appointment. By the time you get to the dental office, you will be perfectly relaxed!
How Does Oral Conscious Sedation Work?
As soon as the effects of the medication kick in, you will feel deeply relaxed. Some patients don’t even remember their visit. However, you will remain conscious throughout your whole treatment, so you will still be able to answer questions and follow the instructions of your dentist. We will closely monitor your vital signs during your treatment to make sure that you are perfectly safe. Until nitrous oxide sedation, the effects of oral conscious sedation linger, so you should arrange for a trusted friend or family member to take you to and from your treatment.
Are You a Good Candidate for Oral Conscious Sedation?
Oral conscious sedation is popular because it’s highly effective, but doesn’t involve a mask or needles. You are likely a good candidate for oral conscious sedation if you:
- Have dental anxiety or phobia
- Regularly cancel appointments due to fear
- Have a sensitive gag reflex
- Are receiving multiple treatments at once
- Have a long dental treatment
- Have difficulty sitting still
- Struggle becoming numb from anesthesia
- Have had negative dental experiences previously
Nitrous Oxide Sedation
For those with milder cases of anxiety or fear, nitrous oxide may be a more appropriate option. This gaseous substance combines nitrous and oxygen, which is then administered through a nasal mask that is worn throughout treatment. Within a few minutes or less, you’ll feel much calmer, happier, and mildly numb all over. You’ll also still be awake and able to talk with the dentist as needed. Since the sedative’s effects are fast-acting, you can simply show up, receive your treatment, and continue your routine activities for the rest of the day. Read on to learn more about nitrous oxide in DeSoto and what you should expect from the treatment.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Nitrous Oxide?
Nitrous oxide is the most gentle and lightest form of sedation therapy. This makes it an excellent option for most patients, including children. Whether it’s for a toddler, teenager, or adult, this soothing treatment can provide multiple benefits, especially for those who:
- Have sensitive teeth or a powerful gag reflex
- Are feeling anxious, worried, or scared of their dental appointment
- Are nervous about visiting the dentist and need help relaxing in the chair
- Experience back, jaw, or neck pain while sitting for prolonged periods
- Will require several treatments during one visit
- Need to undergo extensive treatments, like root canal therapy
- Have special needs or experience difficulty sitting still
How Does Nitrous Oxide Work?
This sedation option is stress-free and easy to administer. Firstly, we’ll place a small mask over your nose after you’ve settled into the examination chair. Within a few moments of breathing the odorless gas, you should feel a light, relaxing sensation wash over you. Some patients even feel tingling in their toes and fingers, and little things may seem funny, hence the nickname “laughing gas.”
You’ll still be conscious and able to respond to your dentist’s questions throughout your treatment with nitrous oxide. However, the sights, sounds, and other sensations that might usually bother you won’t be as much of a problem. Your body will be so relaxed that its ability to register pain will be suppressed, allowing you an incredibly comfortable and pleasurable experience during your appointment. We will monitor your vitals carefully and can adjust your level of sedation as necessary to ensure you’re safe.
Aftercare for Nitrous Oxide
Since there aren’t any side effects from nitrous oxide sedation, there won’t be much of an aftercare process to worry about. After finishing your appointment and removing the nasal mask, you should expect to feel normal and alert again within several minutes. This means you can undergo your dental treatment and still drive yourself home or continue your daily schedule. Some patients (usually children) do feel slightly nauseous after undergoing nitrous oxide sedation, but this sensation should be short-lived and minimal.
Sedation Dentistry FAQs
Is Sedation Dentistry Safe for Kids?
For children who are particularly nervous or fearful of going to the dentist, sedation dentistry can be a perfectly safe option for helping them get the dental care they need while minimizing their stress. It might even reduce their risk of experiencing dental-related anxiety down the road. In most cases, nitrous oxide is the most appropriate solution for kids as it is the mildest form of sedation and won’t involve any lingering side effects. For patients who struggle with more severe anxiety or may have disabilities that make getting dental treatment difficult or uncomfortable, oral conscious sedation might be necessary instead. We’ll evaluate your child to determine the best option for them and will instruct you on how to prepare them for their visit.
What Does it Feel Like to Be Sedated at the Dentist?
This will mostly depend on the certain kind of sedation you receive. With nitrous oxide, you should typically feel calm, tingly, light, and even euphoric. Some people report feeling tingling in their arms and legs, and others end up getting the giggles, hence the name “laughing gas.” Oral conscious sedation is stronger than nitrous oxide, so you should expect to feel an even deeper sense of relaxation during your visit after taking the prescribed pill. In many cases, patients might feel like they’re dozing off, although they’ll still be conscious enough to respond to simple questions or commands. Your appointment will be over before you know it!
Will I Remember Anything with Dental Sedation?
While sedation dentistry is only meant to help you remain calm and stress-free during your treatment, the effects can be so relaxing that you might feel like you have gone to sleep. For this reason, some patients might not recall the entire procedure once their appointment is over. Of course, this is only the case with oral conscious sedation, as nitrous oxide is too mild a sedative to make you feel like you’ve dozed off. For those who have extreme dental anxiety or had past trauma in the dental chair, being able to get their smiles treated while bypassing the experience itself can make their appointments much easier to handle.
How Long Does Dental Sedation Last?
The length of the effects of sedation dentistry will depend on the specific option. Nitrous oxide is administered through a nasal mask that you’ll simply have to breathe in throughout your appointment. Once our team removes it, the effects should wear off after several minutes. While we’ll keep you in the office for a while to ensure you’re in good condition, you should typically be fine to drive yourself to and from your visit. Oral conscious sedation, however, is much stronger and the effects can go on for several hours after your appointment is over. For this reason, you’ll need to have someone take you to and from the dental office, and you’ll need to get plenty of rest before you can feel back to normal.