Can Sedation Dentistry Help You or a Loved One?

Sedation dentistry helps people who have had negative experiences with a dentist or who experience intense emotion and anxiety when considering dental treatment to overcome those experiences, emotions and anxiety. It can help anxious children, children with special physical or emotional needs, adults and seniors. It can help with routine treatment, minor procedures, cosmetic procedures, extractions of regular or wisdom teeth, complex restorative procedures or even lengthy and invasive surgical interventions. If any of the following describes you, a loved one or a vulnerable member of your family, you should discuss the availability of sedation dentistry with a dentist or periodontist in Los Angeles: 

● People who experience dental phobia or anxiety

● People who experience anxiety or fear relating to needles

● People triggered by the sights, sounds, smells and vibrations associated with some dental treatments

● If you have extremely sensitive teeth

● If you have difficulty remaining still for as long as you will be receiving treatment

● If you’re scheduled to undergo multiple procedures in a single appointment

● People who have had negative reactions to local anesthesia in the past

● Patients or any age with special needs making it difficult to remain calm or still during treatment

If you or a vulnerable loved one in your family falls into any one or more of the above categories, please take the time to explain your experiences and concerns with a dentist or periodontist near you. Your dentist in Los Angeles will carefully review your medical history to confirm that you’re a good candidate for sedation dentistry and will explain the options available to help you achieve the right level of relaxation to ensure you get the treatment that you need.

Nerves, anxiety and fear at the thought of seeing the dentist or undergoing dental treatment are common, natural and understandable. It may not always be something that people talk about, but many people of all ages experience anxiety. Every dentist in Los Angeles knows it and understands it and, better yet, can help you to deal with it. One way that a dentist near you ensures that nervous, afraid and fearful patients get the care they need is by offering sedation dentistry near you.

Sedation dentistry is not a one-size-fits-all solution? Choose the right option for you and your needs. 

Sedation dentistry in Los Angeles is not a one-size-fits-all solution because no two individuals’ situations are exactly alike. Your dentist or periodontist will describe four options for providing relaxation through sedation dentistry to produce different levels of relaxation. Choosing the appropriate level for you will require consideration of factors including your level of anxiety, the type of treatment you’re receiving, and the length of time your dentist will be treating you. 

Nitrous oxide

Laughing gas and nitrous oxide are the same thing. Nitrous oxide produces a mild sedative effect that takes effect and dissipates quickly. You inhale the nitrous oxide through a mask or tube and will remain awake at all times.

Oral sedation 

For people who require more relief than provided by nitrous oxide, oral is administered through a pill the night before or in the morning of your treatment. Oral sedation can produce a deeper level of sedation than laughing gas, but you will remain awake throughout your treatment.

IV sedation

Intravenous (IV) sedation is the procedure in which sedative drugs are administered through an IV placed in your arm. IV sedation produces a deeper level of sedation akin to that achieved with oral sedation. The staff at the dental clinic near you will monitor you throughout treatment. The sedative effect of IV sedation takes longer to wear off than the effects of nitrous oxide or oral sedation.

General anesthesia

For patients who require the most extreme levels of relief or who are undergoing the most extreme treatment, general anesthesia is the most extreme form of sedation. It achieves a state of relaxation so deep that patients will fall into a deep sleep  and be unconscious throughout treatment. Patients undergoing lengthy or complex procedures and who experience very significant fear or anxiety may benefit from general anesthesia. General anesthesia is not commonly necessary and is not administered at ordinary dental offices, but by specially trained staff at surgical clinics that specialize in this form of treatment.

Are you or members of your family avoiding essential dental treatment due to fear, anxiety or other forms of inhibiting factors? Contact a dentist near you to ask if sedation dentistry in Los Angeles could help you to get past those issues and to get the treatment you need.