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4 FAQs About Sedation Dentistry in Santa Cruz

If you get anxious when you think about going to the dentist, you’re not alone. Many people find certain procedures or just going to the dentist stressful. Luckily, sedation dentistry in Santa Cruz helps you relax during your visit. Check out these four FAQs about sedation with a Santa Cruz dentist.

What Are the Benefits of Sedation?

There are two major benefits to sedation. Firstly, sedation relieves the anxiety associated with going to the dentist. Anxiety can be so bad that it causes people to avoid going to the dentist for years. However, with sedation, once you feel the effects, your stress melts away, allowing you to undergo procedures even when you are nervous.

The other big benefit of sedation is that it has amnesiac qualities. This means that after the procedure you will likely have little to no memory of it. Plus, even during the procedure, you lose track of time, making the procedure seem quicker than it actually is.

What Types of Sedation Are Available?

There are various types of sedation available, including inhalation, oral, and IV conscious sedation. Even if you’ve never had it before, you’re probably familiar with inhalation sedation: nitrous oxide or “laughing gas”. Inhalation sedation allows you to breathe in the gas while you are in the chair. As long as you breathe the gas, you feel the effects. Once the gas is gone, the substance is quickly flushed from your system, allowing you to return to your normal activities, including driving.

Oral and IV conscious sedation are a little stronger, and you’ll need someone to drive you to and from the appointment because the effects last longer. With oral sedation, you would take a pill about an hour before the procedure. With IV conscious sedation, an IV is attached during the procedure to deliver a sedative.

Does Sedation Replace “Novocain”?

Before a dentist performs a procedure that may cause pain, an injection is given in the gums. This is called local anesthetic – many people refer to this as “Novocain,” and it’s what makes going to the dentist today less painful, if not completely pain-free. It numbs the nerves so you won’t feel anything, even during a root canal treatment that treats the pulp of the tooth.

Some people may mistakenly think they won’t have “Novocain” if they use a sedation option, but that isn’t true. You will still receive local anesthetic to get rid of any feeling. The sedation is just an added measure to ensure your comfort.

Are Patients Under Sedation Asleep?

Sedation is not designed to cause you to fall asleep. Even IV conscious sedation is not meant to cause you to become unconscious. You can still hear the dentist and respond when necessary or follow directions, such as opening your mouth wider.

It is not, however, uncommon for you to fall asleep under sedation. Sedation makes you sleepy, and because the sedation also relieves stress and tension, you are more likely to relax enough to fall asleep. Of course, many patients remain awake.

Don’t avoid going to a Santa Cruz dentist another moment. Sedation dentistry can help. For more information regarding the benefits of sedation, contact Landmark Dental Group today.

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Understanding Sedation Dentistry

Going to the dentist makes many people nervous. A single painful moment as a child or simply the sound of the drill can cause stress, but sedation dentistry helps to put patients at easy. With sedation, you can be relaxed during your procedure. If you’re curious about sedation dentistry, check out the following four facts.

There Are Different Levels of Sedation

There are three common methods of sedation: inhalation, oral and IV conscious. Inhalation sedation uses nitrous oxide to keep you calm. During the procedure, you’ll wear a gas mask over your nose, which allows you to inhale a combination of nitrous oxide and oxygen. This form of sedation is considered minimal. Oral sedation requires you to take a pill about an hour before your appointment. Depending on the dosage, this type of sedation can be minimal or moderate. The last form is IV Conscious sedation and it is considered a moderate level of sedation. With IV conscious sedation, medication is given intravenously.

You May Need a Ride Home

The benefit of nitrous oxide is that your body doesn’t metabolize it. As soon as the gas is turned off and your system is flushed with oxygen, the nitrous oxide is out of your system. This means that you can drive yourself to and from the appointment. If you choose oral sedation, you may be drowsy on your way to and from the dentist, so you’ll need a ride. IV conscious sedation will also make you drowsy, so you’ll need a ride home.

Sedation Makes You Relaxed

Sedation isn’t designed to make you fall asleep or to be completely “out of it.” Sedation is simply designed to make you relaxed during your treatment. You will still be aware of what is happening, and you’ll still be able to comply with instructions from the dentist. However, the sedation reduces or eliminates the anxiety you feel during the procedure. Depending on your level of sedation, however, you may actually fall asleep during the procedure, but you can be easily woken by the dentist if necessary.

You May Forget Your Appointment

Although you will be conscious during the procedure (unless you fall asleep) and aware of what is happening, a side effect of sedation is amnesia. So you probably won’t be able to remember every moment of your treatment. In fact, you may forget most of it. This is another reason sedation dentistry is great. No one wants to remember every detail of a moment that made them stressed and anxious.

If you get nervous about going to the dentist, sedation can make you forget the visit, so you don’t keep thinking about it. Without sedation, you may recall the stress and discomfort you felt during the visit, which can exacerbate your anxiety for future visits.

Sedation dentistry is revolutionizing dentistry because it allows people who are usually too nervous and stressed to visit the dentist to seek dental treatment. You can get the treatments you need to have a beautiful smile without feeling anxious. For more information about sedation dentistry, contact Landmark Dental Group today.

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Perhaps a dentist didn’t numb your mouth enough once when you were a kid, or maybe the sound of the drill causes the hair on your arms to rise. Whatever your fear, you can’t let it prevent you from seeing the dentist. Luckily, for patients who experience anxiety and stress about going to the dentist, there are three sedation options available.

What Is Sedation Dentistry?

Many people get anxious about going to the dentist. Even something as simple as a filling can cause a patient to panic and avoid seeing the dentist, which can lead to even more dental problems. While the dentists and staff at Landmark Dental will work with you so you fully understand the procedure in order to reduce anxiety, they also offer sedation dentistry options for patients who still have some reservations. Although you are awake (usually) during sedation dentistry, the sedation can create a stress- and worry-free environment so that you can keep your smile beautiful.

Option 1: Inhalational Sedation

You may not realize it, but you’ve probably heard of inhalational sedation. It’s informally known as laughing gas, but its actual name is nitrous oxide. Despite how it’s depicted on TV, nitrous oxide won’t have you laughing hysterically in the dentist’s chair. It’s simply a minimal sedation technique that’s designed to leave patients relaxed during dental procedures. It’s the most minimal form of sedation, and is only effective while the gas is being inhaled (this is because the human body doesn’t metabolize it). When the treatment is over and the dentist turns off the gas, you’ll be back to normal and will even be able to drive yourself home.

Option 2: Oral Sedation

Oral sedation is another option that can leave you care-free at the dentist. Most commonly, oral sedation comes in the form of a pill from the Valium family. You’ll need to take the pill about an hour before the procedure, so that it’s in full effect when the dental procedure begins. With oral sedation, one can expect to feel drowsy — and even fall asleep for a bit. Because the effects don’t wear off as fast as inhalation sedation, you’ll need someone to drive you home after your treatment. The effectiveness of oral sedation depends on the dosage, but it varies from minimal to moderate.

Option 3: IV Sedation

IV sedation is a form of conscious moderate sedation offered at Landmark Dental Group. With IV sedation, the dentist slowly injects medication directly into your vein until you are sedated enough. Although patients are comfortably sedated and may even remain awake during the entire procedure, they usually don’t remember much of it afterwards. Patients are able to talk and breathe on their own, but your vitals will be closely monitored during the procedure for safety. Like oral sedation, IV sedation takes time to wear off, so you’ll need a ride home from a family member or friend.

Stop avoiding the dentist because of stress or fear. When you choose Landmark Dental, you can have access to sedation services that make going to the dentist a breeze. For more information about sedation dentistry, contact Landmark Dental today by calling (831) 464-1372.

Sedation can make your dental appointment easier. photo credit: Minerva Studio | Dollar Photo Club

Here at Landmark Dental Group, we understand that going to the dentist isn’t the most enjoyable way to spend your time, but it’s something you shouldn’t avoid. If you get nervous about going to the dentist, however, it can be difficult to bring yourself to go. Luckily, sedation dentistry offers a stress-free way to visit the dentist.

No. 1 – You’re Completely Relaxed

Many people get anxious when they visit the dentist. Even if you’re just going in for a cleaning, you may feel the urge to postpone your appointment. Of course, that only increases the risk of developing a cavity, gum disease, or a more severe problem, including tooth loss. For people who have dental-related phobias, or anxiety in general, sedation dentistry makes going to the dentist a lot easier.

With sedation dentistry, one becomes completely relaxed. It’s easy to forget that you’re at the dentist’s office entirely! Not only does sedation put you at ease, but it makes the entire process easier for your dentist as well. A welcome side effect of the sedation is amnesia, so you won’t remember much of your appointment when it’s over.

No. 2 – You Feel No Pain

One reason people fear going to the dentist is pain. As dentists, we do our best to prevent pain, but some people are more sensitive than others. If you have sensitive teeth or gums, getting your teeth cleaned and rinsed may be painful enough to make you stay away. Even keeping your mouth wide open for a long time can be uncomfortable.

Sedation, however, creates a pain-free experience. Some types of sedation actually increase your pain threshold, so something that normally causes you pain will be like a walk in the park, and keeping your mouth open for a long time will be a breeze.

No. 3 – The Dentist Can Get More Done

Some dental procedures take a long time, and even though you’re just sitting there, they take their toll on you. For example, if you have several teeth that require crowns, and you decide not to undergo sedation dentistry, you may need to schedule several appointments. The strain and stress of a long appointment may just be too much for you.

However, if you do choose to undergo sedation, the dentist can often do more in one longer visit to minimize the number of times you would need to keep coming back. Since you’re sedated, you won’t even realize how long you’ve been at the dentist. You’ll feel like you just sat down when, in actuality, three hours have passed.

No. 4 – There Are Different Types of Sedation Available

There are many different types of sedation available, so you should be able to find the perfect one for you. If you only have a little anxiety about going to the dentist and the treatment won’t be too long, inhalational sedation (i.e. Nitrous oxide or the “laughing gas”) may be the right way to go.  If you have a moderate amount of anxiety, then taking an oral medication prior to your appointment  may help you to feel more relaxed.  On the other hand, if you have more severe anxiety or need to get a lot of treatment done in one visit, intravenous (IV) conscious sedation is the best option.

Sedation makes going to the dentist stress-free, which means you no longer have to put off much needed dental treatment. If you get nervous whenever you think about going to the dentist, contact our friendly office staff at Landmark Dental Group to discuss sedation options by calling (831) 464-1372.