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Sedation Dentistry
If you are a fearful patient, you can trust you are in good hands. We understand that visiting the dentist can be unsettling for some patients. In addition to reducing stress in our office with compassion and empathy, we also offer sedation. We recommend reducing stress by leaving yourself ample time and bringing in some soothing music on a digital music player.
Oral Sedation - Anti-Anxiety Medication
Most commonly, oral sedation (usually in the form of anti-anxiety pills) is prescribed for relieving anxiety in the hours immediately before a dental appointment. An anti-anxiety pill can also be taken the night before the appointment, an hour before going to bed, can help with falling asleep and getting some rest. Anti-Anxiety Drugs: drugs act primarily to relieve anxiety and make you feel calm.
IV (Intravenous) Sedation
Intravenous Conscious Sedation (aka “IV sedation”) is when a drug, usually of the anti-anxiety variety, is administered into the blood system during dental treatment. In reality, you remain conscious during IV sedation. You will also be able to understand and respond to requests from your dentist. However, you may not remember much (or anything at all) about what went on because of two things:
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IV sedation induces a state of deep relaxation and a feeling of not being bothered by what’s going on
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The drugs used for IV sedation produce either partial or full memory loss (amnesia) for the period of time when the drug first kicks in until it wears off. As a result, time will appear to pass very quickly and you will not recall much of what happened. Many people remember nothing at all. So it may, indeed, appear as if you were “asleep” during the procedure.