If dental anxiety is causing you to delay or avoid appointments, sedation dentistry can help. At Bayou Dental Group, we’ve helped many fearful patients have positive dental experiences.
What Is a Sedation Dentist?
A sedation dentist uses commonly prescribed anti-anxiety medication to achieve what is called conscious sedation.
When Is Sedation Used?
Fear or anxiety can keep you away from the dentist and create oral health problems that keep you from smiling. Whether you’re here for a dental cleaning and exam or a more involved procedure, sedation is available to help you relax and get the care you need.
And there are other benefits:
- It decreases your sensitivity to pain—although, at Bayou Dental Group, we provide painless dentistry
- Your gag reflex will decrease
- Even if you don’t have dental anxiety, it can help you get through a long, involved appointment comfortably, allowing us to provide more treatment in less time. It often can save you another visit to our office.
What Are the Options?
Nitrous oxide
Also known as laughing gas, this is the mildest form of sedation. You will breathe it in throughout your procedure and feel a sense of calmness and well-being.
Oral conscious sedation
This is a stronger level of sedation. We’ll give you oral medication to take before your appointment. You’ll arrive at our office relaxed and ready for your procedure. You’ll likely not remember anything that happened during your procedure.
What Can You Expect?
Before you receive sedation, we will review your medical and prescription histories to ensure you’re a candidate for it. Dr. Finley or Dr. Henderson will speak with you to understand your history of dental anxiety. We will take note of what we can do—or avoid—during your visit to increase your comfort.
Regardless of which form of sedation you receive for your dental procedure, we ensure that a staff member is with you throughout your visit. And we will closely monitor your vital signs.
Nitrous oxide
- You can drive yourself to and from your appointment.
- As you breathe in nitrous oxide, you’ll be alert but feel calm and relaxed.
- After you stop breathing in the gas, the effects will be quickly reversed. You can return home or to work and resume your normal activities.
Oral conscious sedation
- You’ll need transportation to and from your appointment.
- You will take the medication before you arrive at our office.
- You’ll be sleepy but conscious and able to respond to questions or instructions.
- The drowsiness lingers after your appointment.
- It’s unlikely that you’ll remember the procedure that was done.
Our Attentive Team Welcomes You
For many people, dental anxiety is a result of past negative dental experiences. From the moment you arrive at our office, our entire team helps you feel comfortable and relaxed. Many of our previously anxious patients now enjoy their dental visits. We’re confident that you’ll also have positive dental experiences with Bayou Dental Group.
I’m one of those people who was terrified of the dentist but not since I’ve been a patient at Bayou Dental Group. They are very professional and compassionate. – Liz J.