Overcome Your Fear of the Dentist and Feel at Ease
Don’t let your fear of visiting the dentist stand in the way of maintaining your oral health. Let us help you feel more comfortable in the dentist chair with our sedation dentistry services.
With sedation dentistry, you are administered medication that will help you relax during uncomfortable dental procedures and oral surgery.
There are several different types of sedation available to you during a dental procedure, including nitrous oxide (also known as laughing gas), oral sedation, and intravenous (IV) sedation.
The mildest form of dental sedation is nitrous oxide, a colourless and odourless gas you inhale that creates a calm and euphoric feeling.
With oral sedation, a sedative is administered orally, typically through a pill.
IV sedation, on the other hand, is given intravenously usually on the top of your hand. The tube administers the sedative drug directly into your bloodstream, and the IV will stay in your system during the entire procedure.
Which form of sedative you receive will depend on what level of sedation you require (minimal, moderate, or deep).
Am I a Good Candidate?
You are likely to be a good candidate for sedation dentistry whether you are experiencing oral pain, or just require a standard dental procedure, but are putting off going to the dentist due to fear or anxiety.
You may also be a strong candidate if you are highly sensitive to pain, or need to undergo a long, complicated dental procedure.
Dental sedation is also a good option for people with a strong gag reflex, sensitive teeth, or severe dental problems.
Benefits of Sedation Dentistry
There are many benefits to sedation dentistry, for both a dentist and the patient.
Some of the main advantages include:
- Helping you feel at ease and comfortable at the dentist
- Helping with sensitive gag reflexes
- Having little to no memory of the experience
- More procedures can be done at once, requiring fewer future visits to the dentist
Can Any Dentist Offer Sedation?
Almost all dentists are able to administer nitrous oxide or prescribe oral sedation pills, however a dentist must be properly certified to offer IV sedation.
At Highbury Park Dental, Dr. Achache’s certifications in sedation dentistry allow us to extract impacted teeth and wisdom teeth with sedation. We also offer nitrous oxide sedation on all treatments for anxious patients, as well as oral and IV sedation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Intravenous (IV) Sedation is the ideal level of sedation for dental treatment. In contrast to general anaesthesia, the adverse effects are avoided with IV sedation. Moreover, patients maintain their natural physiological reflexes and are capable of breathing on their own. Dr. Achache was trained at the University of Toronto and certified by the Royal College of Dental Surgeon of Ontario to care for patients under sedation.
And during any dental procedure involving sedation, you will be closely monitored the entire time, and you will not be released to go home until we feel it is safe.
Just like any medication, there are some minor side effects associated with sedation dentistry.
With oral and IV sedation, you may continue to feel drowsy after the procedure and require someone to drive you home. Other possible temporary side effects include dry mouth, dizziness, nausea, and headaches.
With IV sedation, you also might experience minor bruising, swelling, or bleeding at the site of the IV injection.
Common side effects of nitrous oxide include excessive sweating, shivering, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and fatigue.
The effects of sedation are different for everyone, and ultimately depends on which level of sedation you receive.
With nitrous oxide, you might feel light-headed and a tingling sensation in your arms and legs. Your arms and legs may also feel heavy, and overall, you will feel very relaxed and comfortable.
With moderate IV sedation, you will feel drowsy and be in a deep state of relaxation. Time will feel like it is passing very quickly, almost as if you are asleep.
There is also a good chance that you will have little to no memory of the procedure afterwards.
Since nitrous oxide is the mildest form of sedation, therefore you should be able to drive yourself home after your dental appointment. However, if you are still feeling drowsy afterwards, we recommend that you do not drive home right away and either have someone come pick you up or wait until you are feeling normal again.
With moderate IV or oral sedation, the effects of the anesthesia can last several hours after your appointment, so you will not be able to drive yourself home.
Prior to your appointment, make sure you arrange for someone to accompany you and drive you home after.