Sedation Dentistry

If fear, stress, anxiety, or other emotional, physical, or developmental concerns make it especially difficult for you to visit the dentist and receive professional dental treatments, you are not alone. But you don't have to choose between suffering or sacrificing your health; you can choose oral conscious sedation instead. 

What Is Sedation Dentistry?

Sedation Dentistry is a branch of dental care that focuses on addressing dental anxiety, dentophobia, and other issues that negatively impact a patient's experience at the dental office or ability to undergo dental treatment without fear, stress, or anxiety. 

Sedation dentistry can encompass a variety of sedative techniques and treatment modalities to reduce fear, stress, and anxiety in patients, allowing them to have more positive experiences during their dental appointments and treatments. These approaches can include:

• Pharmaceutical Sedation:
  
  • Light sedation with laughing gas (nitrous oxide sedation)
  • Light-moderate to deep-moderate with orally administered sedatives (oral conscious sedation)
  • Deep or full sedation with intravenous (IV) sedatives (general anesthesia)
• Holistic Relaxation:
  
  • Aromatherapy
  • Weighted blankets
  • Eye masks
  • Noise-canceling headphones
  • Tapping devices
  • Comfort items

The optimal approach to dental sedation can vary from patient to patient, depending on that patient's needs, medical history, and upcoming dental treatments. 

When Is Dental Sedation Recommended?

Dental sedation can be beneficial for a wide array of situations and patient cases. We might recommend dental sedation to address the following concerns:

• Dental Anxiety
• Dental phobia
• History of negative dental care experiences
• Fear of needles
• Extensive, lengthy, or invasive dental treatments
• The patient does not become fully numbed with local anesthetic
• Sensitive gag reflex
• Extremely sensitive teeth
• Sensory processing issues
• Emotional, physical, or developmental issues that make dental care challenging
• Conditions that make it difficult for patients to control their movements or stay still for long periods of time
• Creating more positive dental care experiences for children with dental anxiety or extreme apprehension

Dental Sedation at White and Haines Advanced Dentistry

At White and Haines Advanced Dentistry, we offer a variety of oral-conscious dental sedation options that are highly effective at reducing and eliminating dental anxiety before, during, and after dental appointments.

The most common prescription sedatives used in oral conscious sedation include several different pharmaceuticals from the benzodiazepine class of medications. Some of these include:

• Diazepam (Valium)
• Triazolam (Halcion)
• Lorazepam (Ativan)
• Alprazolam (Xanax)
• Midazolam (Versed)

To achieve optimal dental sedation results for every patient, we select specific pharmaceuticals and prescribe doses based on each patient's unique set of needs, current medications and supplements, medical history, and anxiety levels. 

Is Sedation Dentistry Safe?

Yes, sedation dentistry is safe and effective. As is the case with all medications, prescription sedatives do have some side effects and rare risks of more serious allergic reactions. 

All sedative medications are prescribed and administered to patients following stringent safety and efficacy protocols and dosing recommendations based on the patient's age, weight, and medical history. 

To ensure a safe and effective experience, Dr. White or Dr. Haines will thoroughly examine the patient's complete medical history. It is also vital for patients to provide a complete list of prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, and supplements that they take. 

How It Works: What to Expect With Oral Conscious Dental Sedation

1. Before Your Appointment

After discussing your medical history and determining the best type of oral sedation for you, our dentist will provide you with a prescription for an oral sedative before your upcoming dental appointment. Additionally, we might also provide you with instructions for abstaining from certain medications and supplements for a specified period of time before your procedure. 

Typically, your oral sedative will be taken one hour before your scheduled appointment time to ensure that the medication has taken its full effect by the time your treatment begins. This means that your sedative will be in effect before you reach our office. This helps to alleviate the stress experienced in anticipation of a dental appointment but also means that you will need to arrange transportation to and from our dental office. 

2. During Your Appointment

During your appointment, you will remain conscious and able to communicate and respond to questions. However, you will feel extremely relaxed, calm, and maybe even a little sleepy. With oral conscious sedation, patients often dose off during their treatments. 

3. Appointment Recovery

After oral conscious sedation, patients often have fuzzy or limited memories of their dental appointments (including the time leading up to the appointment, the treatment, and the time immediately after care). 

The duration of sedative effects varies based on several factors such as the patient's metabolism and unique bodily response, the type of medication, and the dose. The deepest effects of oral conscious sedation can last for about two to eight hours, and lingering effects can last for up to 24 hours after initial administration. 

After a sedation dentistry appointment, patients should plan to rest at home for the remainder of the day. Additionally, they should not drive, operate heavy equipment, or make any important decisions for at least 24 hours. 

Schedule Your Next Visit With Our Sedation Dentist in Cornelius, NC

If dental anxiety or other concerns make it difficult for you to access the dental care you need to stay healthy, we encourage you to learn more about dental sedation and how it can help you. We welcome you to contact White and Haines Advanced Dentistry to learn more about our sedation dentistry services in Cornelius, North Carolina.