Sedation Dentistry – Sunnyvale, TX
Tackle Your Dental Phobia
If you suffer from dental anxiety, you aren’t alone. It affects approximately 36% of the US population. In fact, anywhere from 9-20% of people avoid dental treatment due to dental phobia. Fortunately, there are options available to help you get the essential dental care you need without the added stress. Dr. George T. Philip offers nitrous oxide sedation to take the edge off dental visits. To learn more about dental sedation and find out if it’s right for you, give us a call !
Nitrous Oxide Sedation
Nitrous oxide is one of the most common dental sedation methods used, and it’s completely safe when administered by a professional like Dr. Philip. It’s an excellent option for those who suffer from mild to moderate dental fear or anxiety, allowing them to sit back and relax in the treatment chair, making the visit much more enjoyable. We’re able to administer the sedation in-office, and you’ll remain monitored by a trained professional the entire time.
Are You a Good Candidate for Nitrous Oxide?
Nitrous oxide in Sunnyvale is an excellent option for a wide variety of patients. Some of the cases in which we recommend nitrous oxide sedation include:
- For patients who have mild or moderate dental fear or anxiety.
- For those who find it difficult to sit comfortably and still in the treatment chair.
- For those who have a strong gag reflex.
- For those who have difficulty getting numb using local anesthesia.
If you relate to any of the cases listed above, call our office to learn whether dental sedation is a good match for you. Our team will answer any questions you may have and make sure that you have a comfortable, positive experience while you’re with us.
How Does Nitrous Oxide Work?
Many of our patients opt for nitrous oxide because it’s safely administered in-office and the effects quickly wear off, meaning a simple treatment won’t require you to take off an entire day of work. First, our team will gently place a mask over your nose that will allow you to breathe in the sedative. Within just a few moments, you’ll feel a calming and euphoric wave wash over you. For many patients, nitrous oxide also makes them feel sleepy. Throughout your treatment, our team that will be monitoring you will be able to adjust the level of sedation, ensuring that your entire experience from start-to-finish remains comfortable.
Aftercare for Nitrous Oxide
Once your service is complete, we’ll have you breathe in pure oxygen, which will help flush the sedation out of your system and allow you to feel back to your normal self. Most of our patients are able to drive themselves back to work or home after their appointment as well as carry on with the rest of their daily errands. In cases where our patients receive more extensive procedures, we recommend following those post-operative care tips closely. This means that you should rest when recommended and only return to your normal activity level when instructed. If you have any questions following your appointment, never hesitate to contact our office.
Am I a Good Candidate for Sedation Dentistry?
The best way to find out if sedation dentistry is right for you is by discussing your medical history, anxiety levels, and other factors with your dentist. This way, your treatment can be safely catered to meet your needs. Dental sedation is often an excellent solution for patients who struggle with the following:
- Dental Anxiety: If you have dental anxiety, sedation dentistry can help you feel more relaxed throughout your treatment.
- Increased Sensitivity: For patients who have teeth or gums that are particularly sedation, sedation can help to lessen this.
- Overactive Gag Reflex: If smells, tastes, or the presence of dental tools in your mouth make you gag easily, sedation can reduce this. This allows you to feel more comfortable and helps your dentist work faster and more efficiently.
- Long Procedure: Even if you feel particularly relaxed at the dentist, if you have a long, thorough procedure coming up, sedation can help to make the experience more tolerable.
Sedation Dentistry FAQs
Sedation dentistry can be incredibly helpful for all kinds of people, both with and without dental anxiety. However, talking about sedatives makes plenty of people nervous, and most people have questions about what to expect.
We want our patients to be as comfortable as possible, so we’ll be happy to discuss with you any concerns that you might have regarding sedation dentistry. In fact, here are some of the questions we get most often about sedation dentistry, and what these treatments are likely to entail.
Is Sedation Dentistry Safe for Kids?
Children often have a really hard time staying calm at the dentist’s office, which means that many parents turn to sedatives to make routine dental care considerably easier. Once your child sees that dentistry is nothing to be scared of, they may even become less reliant on these sedatives to relax at the dentist’s office.
You may be happy to learn that sedation dentistry is safe for kids, so long as it’s administered by a trained professional. Nitrous oxide is what’s used most often for children, as it’s fairly mild and the dosage can be easily controlled.
Will I Remember Anything After Sedation Dentistry?
Dental sedatives are usually designed to keep you awake for the duration of your procedure, but in the case of stronger sedation, it may happen that you don’t remember much of the procedure. While this isn’t a given with more mild sedatives like nitrous oxide, it’s still a possibility.
If you are concerned about not being able to remember the procedure (or if you want to make sure that you don’t) talk to us and we’ll find a dosage that will work well for you.
What Are the Risks of Sedation Dentistry?
Sedation dentistry is overwhelmingly safe, but there are some people for whom it may still not be a very good idea. If you have obstructive sleep apnea, for example, there’s a higher risk of complications from sedatives.
The same is true if you’re taking any contraindicated medications. For that reason, it’s critically important that you talk to us about your complete medical history before any treatment you get from us, especially sedation dentistry.
Will Dental Sedation Numb Me?
Obviously general anesthesia will put you to sleep, meaning that you won’t feel anything. However, in the case of conscious sedation, these drugs won’t numb you completely to pain. They’ll relax you mentally and physically, but dental anesthetics will still be necessary to keep your mouth numb to your procedure.