Sedation Dentistry -
Lacey, WA
 Have you gone through a traumatic experience at a dentist in the past? Do you have extreme anxiety about visiting the dentist, even for something as simple as a routine cleaning? If so, you are not alone, and at Brian K. Rounds, DDS, our team strives to meet your comfort needs. We use sedation dentistry in order to help our patients with dental anxiety, providing nitrous oxide, oral sedation, or IV sedation to help keep you comfortable.
Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous oxide is a safe sedative agent that can help you to relax during your dental procedure. Often called laughing gas, this gas is inhaled through the nose via a small mask. After only a few minutes, the effects of nitrous oxide will begin to take effect, and you will begin to experience an airy, light feeling. That feeling will end almost as soon as the mask is removed.
Benefits of Nitrous Oxide
If you are considering using nitrous oxide during your upcoming dental procedure, there are a variety of benefits that you should consider:
| • |
Since the drug is eliminated from your body quickly, you won’ |
| • |
t need an escort at your appointment |
| • |
Laughing gas wears off quickly, so you won’ |
| • |
t need to deal with any recovery time |
| • |
Nitrous oxide is great for patients with dental anxiety, including children |
| • |
You’ |
| • |
ll remain conscious throughout the procedure and can communicate with us |
| • |
There are relatively no side effects associated with using nitrous oxide |
Nitrous oxide might not work for patients that are extremely phobic, and it isn’t recommended for dental patients that have a hard time breathing through their nose.
Oral (Conscious) Sedation
Despite advances in dental technology, dental anxiety and fear prevents millions of patients from visiting the dentist. For these individuals, local anesthesia just isn’t enough to treat the psychological factors behind their condition. Conscious sedation is a great way to treat dental anxiety in order to allow the dentist to work with your teeth.
Conscious sedation will allow us to create a comfortable and safe dental experience for patients who have dental anxiety or fear. With this sedation option, we will improve your comfort level so that we will be able to work more effectively. You will be given an oral medication under the care of a dental assistant or hygienist in order to better relax during the procedure.
Oral sedation can range from light to moderate. Light sedation will allow you to feel relaxed, although you will stay awake throughout the procedure. Moderate sedation will leave you feeling sleepy and you may have delayed motor skills, but you will remain conscious. We can help to decide the best drug and dosage that is right for you. Additionally, you will also need a local anesthetic to prevent pain during the procedure, but oral sedation can help to make this experience more pleasant.
Intravenous (IV) Sedation
IV sedation is a simple and safe option for patients who experience moderate to severe dental anxiety. This form of sedation is often referred to as sleep dentistry, but you won’t actually be put to sleep. You’ll remain conscious during the procedure and will be able to respond to and understand instructions from the dentist.
During this type of sedation, an IV will be used to administer medication into your bloodstream so that it can quickly provide you with a sense of relaxation while reducing your anxiety. IV sedation will help you to stay comfortable during long procedures, allowing us to get more work done during a single procedure. With this sedation option, you’ll need to have a chaperone with you to drive you home after your procedure has ended.
Drug Information
The pharmaceuticals that are used during IV sedation aren’t narcotics, so they won’t dull the senses. Generally, dentists will use benzodiazepines to provide an anti-anxiety sedative, and while you may feel more at ease, the medications won’t prevent pain. For that reason, you’ll still need to take a local anesthetic before the procedure begins. However, if you have a fear of needles, you can have the local anesthesia administered after the IV drug has taken effect.
Benefits of IV Sedation
If IV sedation is an option for you for an upcoming dental procedure, it is important to understand the benefits of this sedation method:
| • |
IV sedation can help to reduce your gag reflex |
| • |
This sedation method will eliminate much of your memory about a dental procedure |
| • |
IV sedation is safe, as your drug dosage will be measured exactly for you |
| • |
You’ |
| • |
ll get a deeper sedation than laughing gas or with oral medications |
If you are interested in learning more about the sedation options offered at Brian K. Rounds, DDS, please feel free to give our office a call today at (360) 764-5236.
|
