For our patients at Preferred Family Dental who experience anxiety about visiting the dentist, sedation dentistry provides a way to reduce or eliminate that fear. When anxiety about visiting the dentist reaches a level that impacts your need to seek out treatment – even when you are experiencing pain – you are more likely to develop severe problems. The goal of sedation dentistry is to create a comfortable environment where patients can be relaxed, allowing us to perform necessary dental procedures in as pain-free a manner as possible. Sedation dentistry can also reduce the number of visits patients must make to the office because our dentists can accomplish more work in a single session.

Benefits of Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous oxide can easily and effectively treat mild anxiety and can be used in conjunction with virtually any procedure. Also known as laughing gas, nitrous oxide allows patients to enter into a relaxed state. But the effects of nitrous oxide wear off quickly after treatment, and patients are still able to drive themselves home after their appointment.

Benefits of Oral Conscious Sedation

Oral conscious sedation utilizes a small pill rather than an IV for sedation. The medication does not actually put patients to sleep, but rather causes them to feel drowsy and very relaxed. Patients are still able to communicate with our dentists while under oral conscious sedation. Fear, anxiety, and nervousness are practically eliminated, allowing our dentists to perform treatments more quickly and effectively and patients to experience a virtually painless procedure.

Oral Conscious Sedation Procedure

Oral conscious sedation pills are taken about an hour before treatment. After the procedure, patients are encouraged to return home and rest while the medication wears off. Since patients who have taken oral conscious sedation medication will be unable to drive themselves to and from their appointment, they should arrange for a friend or family member to accompany them for transportation.

Contact Preferred Family Dental

To learn more about how sedation dentistry can help you calm your anxieties and achieve your dental needs, contact Preferred Family Dental today.