Who Is a Candidate for Dental Sedation?

Do you avoid visiting the dentist due to fear or anxiety? Have you had a negative dental experience and are now hesitant to try again? If you answered yes, then you may be a candidate for dental sedation. Dental sedation has allowed many patients to get the quality dental care they need and deserve, despite their nerves!

What Is Dental Sedation?

Dental sedation is a common technique for patients who feel anxious or nervous during dental visits. Contrary to belief, dental sedation is not just for lengthy or major dental procedures! And dental sedation is not only just for adults.

Dental sedation is a safe, easy, and highly effective way to manage nervous or anxious patients during any treatment. Our office offers several types of sedation, including:

Dental Sedation Candidate

Dental sedation is beneficial for most patients, especially patients with:

Is Dental Sedation Safe?

Dental anxiety or nerves often prevents dental visits or dental work. When it’s severe, it becomes a problem as your oral health can begin to affect your overall wellness. To ensure your safety with dental sedation, our team will go over your health history before sedation. If you are a candidate with good health, we monitor your vital signs before, during, and after sedation for a safe treatment. We will also direct you on how to prepare for sedation to have the most effective treatment.

Benefits of Sedation Dentistry

Besides making treatments less intimidating and forgettable, the benefits of sedation include:

Never Miss a Dental Visit with Dental Sedation

Do you think you can benefit from sedation dentistry? Let us know. At North Richland Hills Dentistry, we’re here to make your visit more comfortable and effective.

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How Sedation Dentistry Can Ease Your Dental Anxiety

Raise your hand if the thought of going to the dentist makes you anxious. It’s not something that you should be embarrassed about. Many people have dental anxiety, and as dental professionals, we’re trained to work with patients who may not feel as comfortable in the dental chair. In addition to choosing a dentist who you can trust and who makes you feel at ease, there’s another option to help ease your dental anxiety: sedation dentistry

What Is Dental Sedation

Sedation dentistry is a scope of dentistry that involves using medication to help patients feel calm and relaxed throughout their treatment. What exactly that medication is depends on what you and your dentist discuss. There are different levels of sedation available with levels ranging from mild to moderate too deep. For example: Have you ever heard of laughing gas? The formal name for it is nitrous oxide and that’s considered a mild form of dental sedation.

How Sedation Dentistry Can Help

Depending on what kind of dental sedation you get; you can feel different things. You may feel totally calm throughout your body, you may feel an overall feeling of comfort or contentment, and you may even feel so relaxed that you actually doze off. In general, sedation dentistry is there to let your worries float away so you can sit through your dental procedure without any stress or fear. Many people under dental sedation feel like their appointment went by in the blink of an eye, which certainly helps you to get through it too!

Ask Your Dentist About Sedation Dentistry

If dental anxiety has stopped you in the past from taking care of your smile the way it should be taken care of, then we welcome you to North Richland Hills Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry where we provide comfortable sedation dentistry. Our team would be happy to answer any questions you have about your dental sedation options!

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Is Sedation Dentistry Safe?

Interested in sedation dentistry? With sedation dentistry, we use different medications to help our patients completely relax while they’re in the dentist's chair. Sedation is a great solution for patients who struggle with dental anxiety or pain management. Our team at North Richland Hills Dentistry can help you decide if dental sedation is a good fit for you.

Types of Dental Sedation

We offer nitrous oxide, oral conscious sedation, IV sedation and general anesthesia at our office. Nitrous oxide is a good choice for mild or moderate anxiety. It is administered through a mask and the effects wear off immediately. Oral conscious sedation is administered through oral medication taken before the treatment. IV sedation is administered intravenously in the office. In most cases, patients will remain conscious, just in a deeply relaxed state. Where general anesthesia is used, the patient is unconscious and feels nothing at all throughout the treatment.

Is Sedation Dentistry Safe?

Depending on the level of sedation offered, various certifications and training are required on the part of the dental professionals administering sedation. Therefore, all of our staff members who are involved in administering sedation are highly trained and experienced in this area. Additionally, we’ll go over your allergies, medical history, and any other concerns before any sedation is administered. Sedation is safe, and it’s commonly used at our practice.

Who Needs Sedation Dentistry?

Since there are different levels of sedation dentistry available, sedation is a fit for a variety of different types of patient concerns. For example, dental phobia or anxiety, a low tolerance for pain, extreme tooth sensitivity, bad gag reflex, fidgeting, or simply an extensive procedure are all potential reasons why a form of sedation may be a good fit for you. Talk to us about it at your next visit.

Sedation Dentistry in North Richland Hills, TX

Looking for a trustworthy dentist where you can access sedation dentistry? Dr. Desai and the team at North Richland Hills Dentistry have you covered. Our highly trained and comforting staff has extensive experience with various forms of sedation in the dental setting. And if you have questions about sedation dentistry, or if you just want to book your next appointment, we’re just a call away.

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What Is Being Under Sedation Like?

If you struggle with anxiety at the dentist or need a more complex procedure, sedation may be necessary. What’s dental sedation like? It depends on what kind you get. Here’s what you can expect.

Nitrous Oxide

Also known as laughing gas, nitrous oxide is a sweet-smelling blend of oxygen and nitrous oxide. You wear a mask over your nose during your treatment, breathing in the gas. You’ll feel relaxed - maybe even a little giddy - but you won’t feel anxious. You’ll also remain alert and conscious the whole time. When we’re done, we’ll remove the mask and you’ll feel normal in just a few minutes. Then, it’s safe for you to drive yourself home.

Oral Conscious Sedation

With this type of sedation, you’ll take a pill before your appointment. You’ll enter a sleepy, dreamy state. You might fall asleep because you’re so relaxed, but you’re not "going under." You’ll still be aware of what’s going on around you. It takes longer for the effects of oral conscious sedation to wear off, so you’ll need a ride home.

IV sedation

IV sedation lets us control exactly how much sedative you get. You’ll be awake and able to answer questions, but you most likely won’t remember your treatments. Because of the sedation’s strong effects, someone will need to drive you home.

General Anesthesia

General anesthesia is the only sedation method where you’re unconscious. You won’t feel or remember anything. We use this sedation for especially complicated dental treatments. A friend or family member will need to take you home afterward.

Safe, Stress-Free Dental Sedation at North Richland Hills Dentistry

If you’re anxious about visiting the dentist or need a certain procedure, dental sedation is a great option! We always look at your medical history before recommending sedation. Dr. Desai and the team want your experience to be as comfortable and stress-free as possible. If you have questions about what sedation is like or want to schedule an appointment, please contact our North Richland Hills office today!

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Relax at the Dentist with Dental Sedation

Does the thought of a dental appointment make you nervous? You’re not alone. Dental care has come a long way, and it’s more comfortable now than ever to receive a dental treatment. That being said, dental anxiety is a real issue, and it can prevent you from having a beautiful, healthy smile. Dental sedation allows you to have a relaxed, stress-free visit so that you can reap the benefits of top-notch dental treatment without the fear. Here is a handy guide of 3 types of dental sedation so you can determine which can best help you.

1. Nitrous Oxide

Commonly known as “laughing gas,” nitrous oxide allows you to feel completely at ease yet conscious during your procedure. With this sedation technique, a small mask will be placed over your nose so you can inhale the nitrous oxide. Once your procedure is over, the effects of nitrous oxide dissipate quickly so you won’t need someone to drive you home and you won't feel groggy hours later.

2. Oral Conscious Sedation

Oral conscious sedation helps you feel restful during your procedure while also allowing you to be conscious and awake. All you have to do is take a prescription medication one hour before your treatment to feel the effect. It does take a few hours to wear off after your treatment is over, so make sure to set aside time to rest and recover after your treatment and arrange a ride home beforehand.

3. IV Sedation

Intravenous sedation dentistry is great for those who aren’t scared of needles. It’s a very powerful form of dental sedation, and many patients don’t realize how much time has passed from the moment that they receive sedation to the moment that they wake up! If you’re worried about how much pain you will experience during your treatment, then this is a great option for you.

Visit Our Comfortable Office!

It’s our priority to deliver comfortable, expert care here at North Richland Hills Dentistry, so dental anxiety and the fear of discomfort don't hold you back from taking care of your oral health. We encourage you to visit our office, ask questions, and take advantage of our wonderful amenities. Don't forget to take a look at our patient specials. To schedule your next appointment or to ask our friendly team questions about our dental sedation options, contact us today!

3 Tips for Managing Dental Anxiety

If you find yourself avoiding dental appointments because of dental anxiety, know that you are not alone. Millions of people suffer from dental anxiety that ranges from general unease in the dental chair to complete avoidance of the dentist. We don't want you to avoid us, though! Your dental health is too important for that. Instead, try some of these tips for managing your dental anxiety during your dental appointments.

Let Your Dental Team Know

When you come in for an appointment, or even before your appointment, let us know that going to the dentist makes you anxious. Trust us, it's not the first time we've heard it, and you don't need to be embarrassed about it! Telling us actually lets us prepare for your visit and know to work at a pace that works for you. We can plan to let you take breaks during your treatment or make sure you're comfortable with a pillow and blanket. Whatever you need to feel more comfortable, we can help make it happen if we know that you need it.

Bring Comfort Items

Or even comfort people! If you need some headphones to listen to your favorite tunes, bring them along. Does your child have a comfort toy that will help them feel less anxious? Let them bring it. If having your spouse in the room while we work will help you feel less anxious, that's fine, too! Just give us a heads up so we can make arrangements. We want you to feel as comfortable as possible.

Sedation Dentistry: When All Else Fails

If none of these options help ease your nerves, North Richland Hills Dentistry offers sedation options to help you feel relaxed while we work. We have nitrous oxide (laughing gas), can provide carefully prescribed oral conscious sedation, or even use IV sedation under close monitoring to keep you comfortable. Let us know if you feel you would benefit from any of these options, and we can go over them in more detail with you.

Dental anxiety is a very real thing that many of our patients suffer from. We never want our patients to skip out on oral health care because of nerves, so talk to us about your options for easing your anxiety. Give us a call or contact us using our online form. We want to help you feel comfortable while getting a great smile!