Oral Conscious Sedation
If you suffer from dental phobia, you’re not alone—many of our patients have put off going to the dentist for months, years, or even decades because of the anxiety caused by a dental visit! One option we offer anxious patients—or patients who need a large number of procedures done during a single visit—is sedation dentistry, where we provide an oral sedative that is taken prior to the dental visit. Our highly trained staff will monitor your vital signs and your comfort level throughout the process and will make adjustments accordingly.
IV Conscious Sedation
In dentistry, intravenous sedation is used to create a conscious sedation or “twilight” state where your body and mind are completely relaxed, but you are not unconscious. Intravenous sedation minimizes any feelings of discomfort or anxiety, while still allowing you to talk and respond to questions (e.g. “Are you still feeling comfortable?”) or to react to verbal cues (e.g. “Can you turn your head toward the right a bit?) while the procedure is occurring.
In most cases, you will have no memory of the procedure, and because of the level of relaxation that intravenous sedation creates, you will need someone to take you home after the procedure is complete. The sedation will begin to wear off once you are out of the office, and you should be able to take part in normal activities within the next day.