When it comes to quality dental care, the health and comfort of patients is of the highest importance! Advances in dental sedation make dental visits easier and more painless than ever before.
Is sedation dentistry something that you can benefit from?
What is sedation?
First, let’s take a look at what dental sedation is.
Dental sedation is a term used for several means of making a patient calm and comfortable during long dental procedures such as extractions, dental crowns and root canal treatments. Sedation is not included in procedural pain management and is offered in addition to numbing agents that are provided during your procedure.
Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, is the most common form of dental sedation. This sedative leaves the patient conscious, but very relaxed. Because it is a gas, the effects take place quickly and also wear off quickly, allowing most patients to drive themselves home after a procedure!
IV sedation is a newer form of dental sedation that we’re proud to offer at Almeida & Bell. This is a sedative that’s given intravenously and makes the patient feel sleepy and not aware of his or her surroundings, although the patient is conscious and able to respond as needed by the dentist during a procedure.
Patients who choose this form of sedation may not remember their procedure after it’s complete, and may be groggy and require a ride home after.
Who is it good for?
Sedation dentistry is especially good for relieving anxiety for patients who avoid the dentist because of fear of pain or discomfort! It’s also a fantastic option for patients who have a low tolerance for pain, sensitive teeth or a tendency to fidget in the dentist’s chair.
Don’t let sensitivity or anxiety stop you from getting the dental care that you need! Visit the Almeida & Bell website to learn more about the sedation dentistry options that we offer to our patients.