Sedation Dentistry
Do you get nervous about dental visits? You’re not the only one. Dental anxiety is incredibly common, though it can be a problem if it stops you from having cleanings and other dental care done. We offer sedation dentistry in Inver Grove Heights, MN, to help overcome this!
Dental sedation helps you feel at ease during your time with us, relieving stress and worries. Let’s take a closer look at this service to help you understand it better.
What Is Sedation Dentistry?
This means that we use various forms of sedation to help patients feel calmer. Some have severe anxiety that causes intense fear. Others have milder forms of dental fear that can make it hard to feel relaxed. Sedation dentistry allows patients to have dental work or preventative dental services done without stress!
What Types of Sedation Are There?
We have a few ways to accomplish this, from medication to inhaled gas. Most types of sedation keep you conscious or semiconscious, unlike general anesthesia that makes you fall asleep. You might be somewhat aware of what’s going on — but you’ll feel calm rather than nervous.
The main types that dentists use include:
- Nitrous oxide
- Oral medication
- IV sedation
Nitrous Oxide
You might know this as laughing gas. It’s a common way to sedate dental patients during appointments. You inhale this gas through a mask, helping you relax. It works fast and wears off quickly when we’re done so you typically don’t need to have a ride waiting for you. Instead, you can usually drive yourself home after your visit.
Oral Medication
In this case, we have you take an oral medication, such as an anti-anxiety pill or tablet, prior to your visit. Taking it beforehand gives it time to work before we begin examining your teeth or performing dental work. Depending on the kind you take, you might need to have someone drive you home from our office.
IV Sedation
For fast effectiveness, we sometimes use this type to sedate patients. This involves having anti-anxiety medication administered intravenously, allowing it to work quickly. The medicine enters your bloodstream directly and starts to work right away. You might need a ride home after your visit since the effects take awhile to wear off.
What Are the Benefits of Dental Sedation?
This service offers a lot of advantages, including:
- Controlled medication
- Reduced anxiety and stress
- Less discomfort
Being sedated also makes it easier for us to handle cleanings or other dental care. It helps you stay still while you’re in the dental chair. This option also helps ensure you get dental services done instead of putting them off, lowering your risk of serious oral health issues!
When to Consider Dental Sedation?
Do you suffer from dental anxiety? That’s one reason to think about being sedated for your visit. But there are a couple of other situations that make this a good option, too. We may recommend sedation if you have a sensitive gag reflex that makes it harder for us to do dental work. Or you might benefit from it if you’re having a complicated or long procedure done!
Which Type Is Right for You?
That depends, we’ll consider a few factors to decide this, such as:
- How severe your anxiety is
- Whether you have underlying medical conditions
- What type of procedure you’re having
What to Expect With Sedation Dentistry?
We’ll go over how it works depending on which type you choose. If it’s oral medication, you can pick it up before your visit and take it prior to coming in. IV sedation and nitrous oxide are administered at our office. You might feel sleepy yet conscious during your appointment.
Is Dental Sedation Safe?
Yes! We control the amount you take, allowing us to adjust as needed for safety and effectiveness.
Visit Us for Sedation Dentistry
Are you looking for a way to manage anxiety about dental appointments? We offer sedation dentistry in Inver Grove Heights, MN, helping you feel calm and relaxed throughout your visit!
