What Is Sedation Dentistry?
Dental sedation utilizes medication to relieve stress and pain, allowing patients to relax during dental procedures. It is always administered by a trained professional. Sedation may be ideal for patients with:
- Fear of needles
- Difficulty sitting still
- Anxiety around loud noises
- A highly sensitive gag reflex
- Extreme tooth sensitivity
- General dental anxiety
Dental sedation is also recommended for patients less sensitive to local anesthesia, which only numbs a small area in the mouth. Everyone processes anesthesia differently, so what works for one patient may not suit another. At Thrive Dental & Orthodontics, treatment is always customized to meet your needs.
Types of Dental Sedation
Thrive Dental & Orthodontics offers several safe and effective forms of sedation to meet your needs.
Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous oxide, or “laughing gas,” is a mild sedative administered through a mask placed over the nose. When combined with oxygen, this gas creates feelings of warmth and contentment and manages pain for a truly relaxed experience.
The patient is fully conscious during sedation with nitrous oxide, and once the mask is removed, the effects wear off quickly. It is generally suitable for patients of all ages and is widely used for minor procedures.
IV Sedation
With intravenous (IV) sedation, an anti-anxiety medication is administered directly into the bloodstream through a small needle inserted into your hand or arm. Although it’s sometimes called “sleep dentistry,” you remain conscious during the procedure and can respond to your dentist’s requests and questions.
IV dental sedation also lowers the body’s pain response for a stress-free, relaxing experience. In fact, you may not remember the procedure at all! Although IV sedation takes effect quickly, you may remain a bit groggy after, so it’s important to bring a trusted adult with you to drive you home.
Before treatment, Thrive Dental & Orthodontics sedation dentists perform an extensive health screening to ensure you are a candidate for IV sedation. We generally recommend IV sedation for patients undergoing more extensive dental work or who are especially nervous about their procedure.
Conscious Sedation
If you are having lengthy or complex dental work done but do not want an IV, conscious sedation may be the answer. For this approach, the patient takes oral medication prior to their appointment. This medication puts them in a calm, dream-like state where they are less aware of things happening around them.
Conscious sedation can be combined with nitrous oxide for the optimal sedation level. At Thrive Dental & Orthodontics, we are committed to ensuring you are relaxed and at ease for the entire duration of dental care.
What Dental Procedures Require Sedation?
Sedation dentistry can be used for everything from routine dental procedures to emergency dental work—and everything in between, including root canals, extractions, and tooth replacement.
Sedation isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. The right approach depends on your pain tolerance, teeth sensitivity, and ability to stay calm and still as long as necessary to complete your treatment.
Don’t ever feel bad for needing dental sedation. It’s available to make your experience easier—so you have no excuse to postpone your dentist appointment!
Is it Safe to Sedate a Child for Dental Work?
Yes. All dental sedation options available at Thrive Dental & Orthodontics are safe for children. Children’s dentists carefully evaluate each patient to assess their age, health history, and feelings about dental care to determine the most appropriate type of sedation.
It’s also important to consider the type and extent of dental care involved. For example, IV sedation may make sense for a procedure that requires your child to lie still, while nitrous oxide may be sufficient for minor cavities.
At Thrive Dental & Orthodontics, our kind and caring kids’ dentists encourage children, their parents, and caregivers to ask questions and share any concerns about treatment and sedation. We aim to provide every patient with the safest, most pain-free care possible.
To learn more about sedation dentistry, book an appointment online. We have offices in Frisco, Allen, Sachse, Richardson, and Dallas to help patients across North Texas smile bigger and brighter.
