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Not everyone enjoys visiting the dentist, and that’s understandable. However, if you or someone you know experiences so much anxiety when it comes to dental care that they skip appointments entirely, that’s another issue. Whether you’re an adult who struggles with care or you have a young child in need, sedation dentistry can provide a safe, calm and productive environment whenever you visit. If you’re in need of nitrous oxide or oral conscious sedation dentistry in Royse City, TX, give Brush Dental a call today and we’ll help you get comfortable!
Sedation dentistry can be a great solution for patients who suffer from dental anxiety that often hinders their ability to have important dental work performed. However, it can have other applications as well. If you have an unusually strong gag reflex, find it hard to sit still for long periods of time, or require multiple or complex dental procedures, then sedation dentistry can be worth considering. You can find out whether sedation dentistry is right for you by speaking with our team.
Would your child appreciate a way to take away all of their dental-related nerves and anxieties? The answer is often "Yes!" when we ask our patients this question, and we hope that you'll find this method of sedation to be very helpful. Our Board-Certified pediatric dentist offers this medication so that your child can take it the day of their appointment. They should feel incredibly calm, relaxed, and ready to receive treatment in our comfortable dental chair. As they'll learn, the appointment itself flies by relatively quickly. An hour-long appointment just might feel like minutes!
As its name implies, oral conscious sedation is a prescribed medication that your child will take by mouth, which will sedate them but leave them conscious. Throughout your child’s treatment, they’ll be aware enough to respond to simple instructions and answer basic questions, but they’ll be completely oblivious to anything that would typically cause them physical or emotional discomfort! Oral conscious sedation will help your little one feel at-ease and sleepy throughout their treatment, so they can comfortably sit back and relax while we care for their precious smile.
Once our Board-Certified pediatric dentist has ensured that oral conscious sedation is a good choice for your child, we’ll give you a prescription for their sedation medication. Your little one will take this medicine the day of their appointment, typically before you even reach our office. The sedative will take effect gradually, so by the time your child settles into the examination chair, they’ll be feeling completely relaxed and content.
Some children will even drift off to sleep during their treatment thanks to oral conscious sedation dentistry! In many cases, the appointment will seem to fly by and they won’t feel any sense of anxiety or physical discomfort. Afterwards, since oral conscious sedation often provides amnesia-like effects, your child likely won’t remember anything about their visit. This way, they can enjoy all the benefits of feeling like they’ve slept through their appointment without needing a stronger, more intense form of sedation.
Most children are great candidates for oral conscious sedation! However, just to be sure, our Board-Certified pediatric dentist will want to meet with you and your little one just to be sure. We’ll review your child’s current health and medical history, and we’ll also go over any questions or concerns you have. Generally, we’ll recommend oral conscious sedation for children who:
Some patients just need a little bit of help staying relaxed in the dental chair. That’s where nitrous oxide sedation comes in. The nitrous oxide (which is also known as “laughing gas”) helps put you in a happy, relaxed state, which can make your treatment significantly less stressful! Read on to learn more about nitrous oxide sedation and how it works; this can give you an idea of whether it’s a good option for helping you overcome your fear of the dentist.
One major advantage of nitrous oxide is that the vast majority of patients are eligible for it. You might be a good candidate for this type of sedation if you have:
Unfortunately, nitrous oxide sedation might not be the ideal choice for all patients. It’s not typically recommended for those who are pregnant, are taking certain medications, have sinus congestion (which can interfere with your ability to breathe in the gas), or are suffering from respiratory diseases that might lead to lung complications. Talk to our team to determine your candidacy for nitrous oxide sedation.
Once you’re situated in the dental chair, a member of our team will fit the mask over your nose and begin administering the gas. In just a few minutes, you’ll begin to feel warm and blissful. Some patients even report that they felt as if they were floating. Nitrous oxide also lowers your ability to register discomfort and suppresses your gag reflex, making your procedure much easier.
After we’ve finished your treatment, we will remove the mask and take you to a waiting area. Within half an hour or so, the effects of the gas should completely wear off. Most patients are able to drive themselves back to work afterward without any lingering side effects like drowsiness.
Generally speaking, nitrous oxide doesn’t require any special kind of aftercare since it wears off so quickly. All you need to do is wait until you’re no longer under its effects. Our team will monitor you carefully to make sure there aren’t any problems while you’re waiting. Once the effects have faded, you can return to your normal daily activities.
Bear in mind that while nitrous oxide may not require special aftercare, the same can’t always be said for the actual dental treatment. Our team will let you know if there are any special steps you need to follow to take care of your mouth following your procedure. Don’t be afraid to talk to us if you have any questions about aftercare; we want to help you make sure that everything goes smoothly during and after your procedure!
Sedation dentistry is perfectly safe, whether it’s done for kids or adults. Most patients can qualify for it so long as they’re relatively healthy.
For starters, our office’s nitrous oxide is one of the safest dental sedatives. People of all ages can handle it with little-to-no problems. As such, you shouldn’t expect to face any lingering side effects.
Plus, dentists take every precaution when sedating you. They’ll review your medical history before treatment to confirm if a sedative might cause complications. Similarly, they and their team will also monitor your vitals – blood pressure, oxygen levels, heart rate, etc. – at all times. Doing so ensures the sedation process won’t go wrong.
Ultimately, how sedation feels will depend on the kind you receive. Different sedatives, in fact, produce varying effects.
For example, consider our office’s nitrous oxide sedation. This method’s “laughing gas” makes patients feel relaxed, light, and euphoric. Some even report a slight tingling sensation in their limbs. Of course, there’s also a good chance the gas will give you the giggles – hence its nickname.
As stated before, sedation dentistry is generally safe. However, it may present slight risks for some patients.
These risks, while rare, tend to occur in patients with pre-existing conditions. For instance, those with obstructive sleep apnea may be likelier to develop sedation complications. The same applies to those taking certain medications, which might interact with a dentist's medicines.
Even so, sedation is usually safe and seldom has such outcomes. Its most common side effects are generally just nausea or grogginess at most.
As with the feelings it produces, sedation’s lifespan depends on the sedative you get. Some have more lasting results than others.
Fortunately, you won’t face persistent effects with nitrous oxide. Once you’ve stopped inhaling it, the gas wears off in a few minutes. You should then be well enough to drive home or work without drowsiness. In fact, nitrous oxide’s short-lived duration is why it’s so popular among patients.