There are a few ways of offering sedation to dental patients, which can include an oral sedative, IV sedatives or general anesthesia, or nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”). Oral sedation consists of a small pill taken prior to your dental appointment that relaxes your nerves and eases your anxiety, so when you arrive at our office for your dental appointment, you can stay calm and comfortable. This is a light sedation, so you maintain full control and can openly communicate with our doctors as needed.
Almost anyone can be a candidate for sedation dentistry Irving, but some patients that come to our office need help relaxing or calming their fear or anxiety for more specific reasons, such as:
Is Sedation Safe?Sedation dentistry is common and presents very little risk for healthy patients. Almost anyone who experiences anxiety or fear before a dental treatment will have a better experience through sedation dentistry, including patients who haven’t visited an Irving dentist in a long time and feel nervous; who want to avoid local anesthesia due to a fear of needles or shots; who have had a negative dental experience in the past; who get tense in the dental chair; who feel very sensitive to discomfort or pain; or those who simply have a long or complex treatment planned and will need to remain very still for a long period of time. Please consult your physician if you have a history of cardiac disease, hypertension, diabetes, or respiratory diseases. Before your treatment, our office will provide a questionnaire covering these and other health and medical records to determine if and how to make sedation dentistry safe and effective for you, so please take your time to seriously consider and accurately complete this information.
Oral sedation can cause drowsiness and must be taken in advance before arriving at our dental office to give it enough time to take effect. As a result, patients will need a friend or family member there to drive them to and from the appointment. During your treatment, our team will closely monitor you for any signs of issues. Oral sedation has an amnestic effect, so you will have little to no memory of the procedure itself. After sedation, the time it takes for the effects to fully wear off vary from person to person. You may feel a bit uncoordinated on your feet or nauseated and sleepy at first, so plan to rest for at least a day. Other possible side effects include dry mouth, headaches, and dizziness. There can be complications with the oral medications, but these are rare. Nonetheless, you should be sure to discuss all possible risks with your dentist to make a fully informed decision about your treatment. Ask our team if sedation dentistry is right for you!
Oral sedation dentistry does not completely eliminate pain; however, it significantly reduces anxiety and discomfort during your dental procedure. Here at Dental Concepts and Orthodontics in Irving, TX, we can also discuss local anesthesia options to numb the treatment area for added pain management.
Oral sedation offers several advantages:
Oral sedation typically involves taking a medication before your appointment. The medication can be prescribed in various forms, such as a pill or a liquid. It works by calming your nervous system and inducing a state of relaxation.
Oral sedation dentistry is a safe and effective method for managing dental anxiety when administered by qualified professionals like the dentists at Dental Concepts and Orthodontics in Irving, TX. We will conduct a thorough health evaluation before recommending sedation and monitor you throughout the procedure.
If you experience dental anxiety or are interested in oral sedation, discuss it with our dentists during your consultation. They will assess your needs and determine if oral sedation is right for you. We are committed to providing a comfortable and relaxing dental experience for all our patients in Irving, TX.
