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Sedation Dentistry in Irving, TX

Easing Dental Anxiety

Are you having concerns about your next dental procedure? Do dental visits give you anxiety in general? Well, sedation dentistry might be your best option in eliminating any concerns! No matter how gentle we promise to be, we still see patients in Irving who are terrified of any kind of dental work. Even a simple checkup can make some people tremble with fear.

Oral hygiene and dental care are essential to your body’s health. We want to ensure that you get the treatment you need – without the anxiety, you would normally feel during a visit. Sleep sedation is a safe, comfortable way to have your teeth cared for. With sedation dentistry, as it’s commonly called, you won’t feel any pain or discomfort – in fact, you might not even remember the treatment you’ve received!

However, sleep sedation is not like general anesthesia, which is extreme and unnecessary for lesser dental procedures. Also referred to as “conscious sedation,”. Your heart rate and oxygen levels are carefully monitored throughout the entire procedure. Before you know it, you’ll be ready to go home – with a healthy mouth and a bright smile!

Smiling Before Sedation Dentistry

What is Conscious Sedation?

Conscious Sedation is defined as a minimally depressed level of consciousness that retains the patient’s ability to independently and continuously maintain an airway and respond appropriately to physical stimulation and verbal command and that is produced by the pharmacological or nonpharmacologic method or combination thereof.

 

Sedation Dentistry, sometimes called Relaxation Dentistry, refers to the way dentists manage pain and anxiety during dental appointments. Unlike General Anesthesia where a patient is completely unconscious, asleep, and unable to respond, patients under Conscious Sedation, are able to respond to commands and breath on their own.

 

There are actually 14 different ways that sedation drugs can be administered. Here at Irving Family Dental, sedation is administered in the Dental Office through inhalation conscious sedation.

 

Inhalation Conscious Sedation, Nitrous Oxide/Oxygen Sedation also known as “laughing gas”. This is the most frequently used sedation method used in dentistry. All bodily functions remain normal and the person is able to breathe on their own. The patient will often fall asleep and experience some degree of amnesia about what happened during their dental appointment. Inhalation Sedation has been used by dentists for many years.

Advantages of Dental Inhalation Sedation:

  • Works well for mild to moderate anxiety
  • Rapid onset
  • Flexible duration can be used for any appointment length
  • Absolute control. It is easy to quickly control the level of sedation which may be altered moment to moment.
  • People recover quickly
  • Very few side effects
  • There is an analgesic effect
  • You can drive yourself to and from your dental appointment
  • You can return to normal activities immediately

Disadvantages of Dental Inhalation Sedation:

  • Severe anxiety may require a deeper level of sedation
  • Not indicated for people who have respiratory problems (Asthma and Emphysema)
  • Claustrophobic patients do not like anything covering their nose

WHAT MEDICATIONS ARE USED FOR DENTAL INHALATION SEDATION?

  • Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
  • Oxygen (O2)

The safety features of the machine ensure a patient receives no less than 30% Oxygen mixed with Nitrous Oxide. Usually, the patient receives 50 to 70% Oxygen.

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