Undergoing dental procedures can be nerve-wracking for most patients. But thanks to sedation dentistry, dentists can keep patients calm and comfortable, which ensures seamless treatments without interruptions.
Beyond anxiety relief, sedation dentistry offers additional benefits, such as reducing a strong gag reflex and facilitating more efficient dental procedures. By choosing sedation dentistry at Harrison Family Dentists, you can take the first step towards achieving optimal oral health while experiencing a soothing and stress-free dental visit.
See real patient success stories.
By providing a calm and tranquil environment, sedation dentistry helps alleviate patient apprehension, allowing for a more comfortable and stress-free experience.
Sedation dentistry helps prevent gagging by reducing the reflex sensitivity, allowing the dentist to perform necessary treatments without triggering discomfort or disruptions caused by involuntary reflex actions.
Sedatives are used to block pain signals, ensuring that patients can undergo treatments without experiencing significant discomfort. This helps create a pain-free and comfortable environment, enhancing the overall dental experience for patients, especially during complex or lengthy procedures.
The first step in the dental sedation process is consultation, where your Saratoga Springs & Gloversville dentist reviews your medical and dental records. The dentist might also ask you whether you have any allergies and your experience with previous sedation. If everything checks out the dentist will give you instructions on what to eat and fasting hours before the sedation.
The sedation administration depends on the type of sedation in question. The most common types of dental sedation include nitrous oxide (laughing gas) sedation, IV sedation, and oral sedation. Dentists may sometimes use procedural sedation for minor and less-invasive treatments.
The dentist will monitor your vitals, specifically your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing patterns after administering the sedation. If okay, the dentist will proceed with the treatment as per your treatment plan. You will feel little to no pain during the dental procedure, which should be over in what seems like a few minutes.
The effects of dental sedation take some time to wear off, depending on the sedation in question. Laughing gas sedation, for instance, wears off in three to five minutes. Oral sedation takes two to eight hours to wear off, while IV sedation wears off in a day or two.
Yes, laughing gas, also known as nitrous oxide, is considered safe when administered by trained professionals. It has been used in dentistry for decades and has a proven track record of providing relaxation and pain relief during procedures, with minimal side effects and a quick recovery time.
We don’t recommend driving after sedation since the sedation takes time to wear off. This is because the effects of the sedation may impair your judgment and by driving before the sedation wears off you are risking your life and safety.