How to make sedation dentistry work for you

The thought of getting your teeth cleaned may keep you away from the dentist, but sedation dentistry is helping more patients relax and making dentistry easier for many people.  According to the American Dental Association, sedation has helped people of all ages with various various levels of fear and anxiety to get care with ease.

When it comes to sedation for children, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and American Academy of Pediatrics wrote specific guidelines in 2016 outlining protocols to ensure the safety of pediatric sedation.

Dentists are required to complete specific training in order to administer sedation. At Advanced Smile Care, we offer four customized options that are not only safe, but also effective to ensure our procedures are comfortable for you.

FOUR SEDATION OPTIONS:

1. Nitrous Oxide: This option is best for those of you with a small amount of anxiety and a short procedure. This treatment option is preferred by patients wanting to take the edge off, but wanting to stay conscious during their procedure.

2. Oral conscious sedation: This medication is ideal for patients who fear needles or do not like sharp instruments. This process is easy and requires no needles, and so, it is now the most common technique used in the United States and Canada to quell patient fears.

Best of all, the medications create such a comfortable experience that most patients do not remember their visit and some even snooze through the treatment! While sedation dentistry  occasionally is called “sleep dentistry,” sleep is not is guaranteed.

3. IV conscious sedation: This is a deeper form of sedation which is administered intravenously. This method is for patients who need to be more deeply sedated than the oral conscious variety.

4. General Anesthesia sedation: An anesthesiologist will administer this medication to patients. This process is used for patients who need to be unconscious for their dental treatment.  We have also worked with special needs patients who require general anesthesia.

If you have additional questions about sedation dentistry and which option may be best for you, we are available to answer your questions! Remember, our dentists will always keep you in the loop and share your treatment steps with you. Dr. Laura Benjamin of Advanced Smile Care says it does not have to be scary when we sedate you.

“The one thing that many people are most afraid of when they go to the dentist, is not being in control of what’s happening,” said Dr. Benjamin. “I absolutely never proceed on a patient if they are uncomfortable in any way at all.”

Advanced Smile Care has a long track record of providing sedation dentistry. We started working in this field at a time when many dental practices in San Antonio did not offer these services. We have helped thousands of patients get over their fears of the dentist with our top-tier sedation expertise.

COME SEE US:

For nearly 40-years, our team led by Dr. Tony Thomas, DDS, has been San Antonio’s premier dental practice for creating transformational smiles. At Advanced Smile Care, we do it all. Whether it be a full-smile makeover, dental implants, dentures or sedation to get you through your treatment, as we like to say, “It shouldn’t hurt to smile.”