Do you experience dental nerves and anxiety, and is it keeping you from visiting our office for routine examinations or a needed treatment? Experiencing dental nerves and anxiety is more common than you may realize. Millions of Americans have some form of dental anxiety, which keeps them from receiving the care and treatment needed for optimum oral health. Unfortunately, when you continue to avoid routine examinations and treatments, it can lead to a never-ending cycle of dental problems, emergencies and lengthy treatments, which will only make the nervous feelings worse. Thankfully, we offer a solution to help patients get the dental care they need while being in a relaxed state — dental sedation.

Sedation Options We Offer

There can be a number of reasons why patients may have nervous or fearful feelings toward the dentist. We never want a patient’s oral health to be compromised because of their feelings. We are happy to offer our patients three different sedation options that we may recommend based on the severity of your feelings or the treatment that is being received. We may recommend:

Nitrous Oxide
This is the most common form of sedation and is also commonly known as laughing gas. This method is an inhaled sedative that is administered during the length of your procedure. The effects of this option wear off immediately following treatment, allowing young and old patients to receive it. Patients are safe to drive both to and from treatment.

Oral Conscious Sedation
Oral conscious sedation is a type of sedation used in medical and dental procedures to help patients feel more relaxed and comfortable. It involves taking a medication in pill form, usually a type of benzodiazepine, which induces a state of sedation and reduces anxiety. Patients remain conscious and able to respond to verbal commands, but they may not remember the details of the procedure. This type of sedation is commonly used in procedures such as dental work, colonoscopies, and minor surgeries, and can be a safe and effective way to reduce discomfort and anxiety during these procedures. With this form of sedation, we require that you be driven to and from the appointment for your safety.

IV Sedation
This option is the most involved and requires an IV to be placed, allowing medication to flow directly into the bloodstream. The medication can be adjusted as needed during the procedure and is very safe. This is a much better option for people who need very extensive surgical work or have extreme fear or anxiety about dental work and need to be completely out or “asleep”. It is not uncommon for patients to forget the treatment after the effects of the medication have worn off. Patients cannot drive to and from the appointment.

If you are interested in sedation dentistry, please contact our location in North Huntingdon, PA to schedule an appointment. We will further explain your options and look at your medical history to find a perfect sedation fit for your needs.