Dental Phobia & Sedation Dentistry
It is widely accepted that dental phobia and fear is something that puts many people off visiting the dentist and it is not uncommon for us to treat patients who have not visited a dentist in the last 30 years due to their phobia. We are here to help you overcome your fears. We provide happy gas, oral, and intravenous sedation techniques, depending on your level of anxiety. Sedation puts you in a relaxed dream-like state of mind. Dr. Kamran Haghighat has 20 years experience with sedation dentistry and can provide you with this option.
IV Sedation
For the patient who fears the required treatment, I.V. sedation offers a way to have required dental treatment done in a non-threatening manner. Other patients who benefit are those who need surgical procedures or a very large amount of work to be done at one time.
For these situations, we use intravenous sedation because it is a very conservative and appropriate method of controlled patient management during dental procedures. Sedation is the calming of a nervous, apprehensive individual through the use of drugs, without inducing the loss of consciousness. This highly effective technique requires the introduction of drugs directly into a vein, and it has the advantage of giving maximum control to the treating doctor as well as giving comfort to the patient.
The patient is not placed under general anesthesia, for the patient’s protective reflexes are still in place, including the ability for the patient to maintain his or her own airway. Appropriate monitoring equipment, such as a pulse oximeter and supplemental oxygen, will be used during the I.V. sedation appointment. The use of intravenous sedation has been a very effective tool in our practice for outpatient dental care in many different situations.
Oral Sedation
The oral medications used for Oral Conscious Sedation in dentistry are from a group of drugs known as Benzodiazepines. Not only do these medications have a sedative effect, most people also experience some degree of amnesia. Patients remember little or nothing about their dental appointment. The most common medication used is Valium (Diazepam). Valium provides a deep level of relaxation.
Advantages of Dental Oral Sedation:
- Easy to administer – just a small pill to swallow
- Safe and easy to monitor
- Works well for most people
- Low cost
Disadvantages of Dental Oral Sedation:
- The level of sedation is not easily changed
- You must be driven to and from your dental appointment
- There is no analgesic (pain relief) effect
Don't let the fear of a dental appointment prevent you from receiving the dental treatment you need or achieving the life-changing smile you deserve.
