Baseball has always helped you relax. You know that you can just sit for a few hours and let the world come to you. It’s been this way since you were young, before cellphones and computers always were vying for your attention. Everything tends to slow down when the game is on. The same couldn’t be said about visiting the dentist, however. This tends to be very stressful for you, because like many, it gives you a lot of anxiety. You’re afraid of what is going to happen once you sit down in the dental chair. Does it always have to be this nerve-wracking? You can now relax the next time you see the dentist with sedation dentistry near Erlanger with Independence Family Dentistry.

How Sedation Can Help

Dental anxiety, or fear associated with the dentist, prevents many people from getting necessary dental care. This can lead to a destructive cycle, as small dental issues can develop into bigger ones. This can leave the patient in a large amount of pain and call for invasive treatment, which only creates more anxiety. Sedation allows us to calm a patient to the point where we can perform whatever procedure is needed. Sedation helps not only the body, but the mind as well. It can’t completely eliminate anxious thoughts, but can make them very manageable. Dr. Nakhla, a sedation dentist in Erlanger, has a variety of ways of doing this.

Nitrous Oxide

Commonly known as “laughing gas,” nitrous oxide is best suited for patients who have mild anxiety or are coming in for routine procedures, such as a cleaning. The gas is said to give the patient a warm, comforting feeling that allows them to relax. The gas is administered through a small mask that is worn on the nose, and its effects are usually felt in about a minute. After the procedure is done and the mask is removed, the patient should feel normal after another minute.

Oral Conscious Sedation

This is a deeper form of sedation and may be recommended for patients who have more moderate anxiety. Dr. Nakhla will prescribe you medication before the procedure, as well as give you a designated time to take it the day of your appointment. On the day of your visit, the sedative should have started working by the time you make it to the office. You will still be awake and able to follow commands, but will be deeply sedated. Due to this, it is required that trusted person or family member person drive you to and from the office, as well as keep an eye on you for the rest of the day afterward. You should feel completely normal by the next morning.

IV Sedation

This is the deepest form of sedation. Patients often fall asleep while under it, or have no memory of the procedure at all. IV sedation is typically for patients with extreme anxiety, or those who are undergoing lengthy procedures. Once you have made it to the office, the sedative will be administered intravenously, and your vital signs will be constantly monitored. Your safety is our highest priority. Just like with oral sedation, it is required that someone else drive you to and from the office on the day of your visit, as well as stay with you after. All the effects should wear off by the next day.

 Don’t Delay

Regular visits to the dentist don’t have to be stressful anymore with sedation dentistry. Whatever your needs are, we have the tools and the knowledge to put you in the best state of mind while we take care of your teeth. If you have any questions, please be sure to call us.