Ease Your Fear with Sedation Dentistry at Medora Dental Care
Sedation Dentistry in Abbotsford
If the thought of setting foot in the dentist’s office makes you nervous, consider sedation dentistry. This option is an excellent way to maintain your oral health with regular checkups while leaving anxiety attacks at the door.
Choose Pain-Free Procedures with Sedation Dentistry
When asked what makes them afraid of going to the dentist, many of our Abbotsford patients say pain. After all, who wouldn’t assume a tooth extraction has to be painful? With sedation dentistry, however, you can virtually eliminate the chances of feeling any pain, no matter what procedure you need. Most patients we treat at Medora Dental Care report feeling no discomfort during their visit, and many of them barely remember the procedure at all. In addition to minimizing pain, sedation dentistry also reduces gag reflexes and decreases the patient’s ability to smell, taste, or hear for much of the procedure.
What Are the Benefits of Sedation Dentistry?
Besides pain, sedation dentistry boasts several more benefits.
For one, a sedated patient is easier and safer to treat than one who moves around throughout the procedure. In this way, sedation dentistry minimizes the amount of time your Abbotsford dentist visit will take. Medora Dental Care patients also experience very few side effects of sedation and can choose from sedatives in pill form to avoid ones requiring needles.
What Kinds of Sedatives Are Available?
Here at Medora Dental, we offer both nitrous oxide and oral conscious sedation. Different levels of sedation can be utilized depending on individual needs.
Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, is commonly used as a mild sedative. It is administered through a nose hood throughout the entire procedure. The sedative elevates the patient’s mood and can elicit a sense of well-being. Nitrous oxide relieves anxiety and reduces pain during dental procedures for patients who fear to go to the dentist. Some numbness and tingling can be felt from the sedative. It has very few side effects and has been used safely in dental practices for over 100 years.
Rather than nitrous oxide or pill sedation, some patients opt for IV sedation. Although many people confuse IV sedation with general anesthesia, they are not interchangeable. General anesthesia puts patients to sleep, where IV sedation puts patients in a semi-sleep-like state. They cannot remember undergoing the procedure, nor do they recall any sounds, smells, or tastes either. However, IV sedation at Medora Dental Care does involve needles. If you have anxiety surrounding needles, pill sedation is likely your best bet.