If you struggle with dental anxiety, sedation dentistry helps you feel calm and relaxed. While we can use sedation dentistry for just about any procedure, what are the most common ones? What kinds of sedation do we offer?
What Dental Procedures Do I Need Sedation For?
If you need extensive dental work, we’ll likely use sedation even if you don’t usually feel anxious at the dentist’s office. Tooth extractions, root canal therapy, and dental implants are intense treatments that take longer than routine work like teeth cleanings and fillings. Sedation dentistry relaxes you and makes the appointment fly by. We may also use sedation dentistry during emergency dental care, especially if you’re in a lot of pain and your anxiety level is high.
What Kinds of Sedation Are There?
We offer two kinds of sedation at our office: nitrous oxide and oral conscious sedation. Nitrous oxide (also called laughing gas) is the mildest type of sedation. You breathe it in through a mask that goes over your nose. When we remove the mask and you start breathing normally, the effects of the gas wear off quickly. You can drive yourself home.
Oral conscious sedation is a mild to moderate sedation. You’ll take a prescription pill a set time before your appointment. When we start the treatment, the pill’s effects will have kicked in. You’ll stay awake during the procedure, but you’ll feel sleepy and relaxed. Because the effects linger longer, you’ll need someone to drive you home.
Sedation Dentistry at Bethea Family Dentistry in Columbia, SC
Sedation dentistry provides relief for anxious patients and makes long, complex dental procedures much less stressful. If you need a tooth extraction (like a wisdom tooth removal), dental implant surgery, or a root canal, you’ll likely get some kind of sedation. Have questions about dental sedation or want to schedule an appointment with Dr. Bethea? Please contact our office today!