Not all patients willingly subject themselves to dental procedures. There are those who have the inexplicable fear of dental tools and the dental experience itself. If the fear of the dental chair is keeping you from getting the treatment you need, then you might want to consider oral conscious sedation dentistry in our office.

Oral conscious sedation dentistry is a dental technique where a drug is used to produce a state of depression of the patient’s central nervous system, which then allows us to carry out the dental treatments properly. It makes the patient enter a state of relaxation while they remain awake. Oral conscious sedation dentistry allows us to communicate verbally with the patient during the time that they are sedated. Under this type of sedation, patients can still respond to any of our dentist’s questions. The use of oral conscious sedation dentistry is generally used to control pain and patient anxiety on the treatment. It reduces the need for general anesthesia and the risks that comes with its use.

What are the types of administration of oral conscious sedation dentistry?

Oral conscious sedation dentistry in our office  can be administered to our patients in the following ways:

• Inhalation Sedation – this involves the use of nitrous oxide and is considered a light form of sedation.  This will be administered through a mask that will be placed over the patient’s nose.  The nitrous oxide will be inhaled through the nose and expelled through the patient’s mouth.  This immediately wears off after the procedure and there is no recovery time as well as side effects.
• Oral Sedation – our dentists may prescribe medications to provide a light to moderate sedation effect.  Usually, a pill will be taken by the patient about an hour before the procedure and will make the patient feel sleepy.
• IV Sedation – this type of sedation causes moderate sedation effects.  The sedation drugs are delivered to the patient intravenously.  The effects are almost immediate and your dentist can adjust the level of sedation during the procedure.

When should a patient  consider having oral conscious sedation dentistry?

Oral conscious sedation dentistry should be considered by patients if they experience any of the following:

• Patients who want a relaxed feeling during a dental procedure
• Patients who have phobias or fear of needles or any other dental tools
• Patients who have a very pronounced gag reflex can benefit from oral conscious sedation dentistry
• For patients who anticipate that the pain of the dental procedure would be too much for them may consider this option