When you have dental anxiety, even minor treatments like cleanings can seem like a difficult prospect. Which means oral surgery could seem impossible! But our team doesn’t want your dental phobia to stand between you and the smile you deserve. In today’s blog, your Santa Rosa , CA, oral surgeons talk about the benefits of sedation dentistry, which can help even those with anxiety enjoy a positive office experience!
When You Need a Calming Medication
When will our team prescribe dental sedation for our patients? We will typically recommend this for those undergoing oral surgery, as these are procedures to treat complex situations and could require extensive care. If a patient has dental anxiety, we know that they could be uncomfortable with even a simple dental cleaning, so the prospect of oral surgery could be daunting. But we don’t want to minimize those fears, and we don’t want them to stand between you and the smile you deserve, which is why we can offer these options to help you remain calm and relaxed during treatment. These can also help those with special needs that make receiving care a difficult process.
Choosing the Right Solution for You
Our team is experienced in sedation and oral surgery, and following the same strict guidelines and safety standards of a hospital operating room. In fact, our doctors are also on the Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital Trauma Team, and have experience handling serious cases of facial traumas and other concerns. The medication we choose for you will depend on a number of factors, such as your current medication regime, age, weight, and medical history. We also take your anxiety levels into account too, as we want the option that helps you enjoy a positive and comfortable experience in our office. You shouldn’t fear visiting an oral surgeon, and we want to help you enjoy your time in our office.
Nitrous Oxide
We treat patients of all ages, from pediatrics to seniors, and nitrous oxide is a sedation often recommended for all ages. Also known as laughing gas, this is very helpful for more minor oral surgeries. We administer a gas through a mask over your nose. You inhale this gas and enter a calm and relaxed state. You stay conscious and able to respond to the oral surgery, but will have little to no memory of the experience. The effects can be adjusted during treatment and wear off as soon as the procedure does. In fact, many people can drive home or return to work or school afterward!
Oral Conscious
Oral conscious sedation is administered through a pill or liquid form prior to the procedure, and offers a much deeper state of relaxation. In the hours before the procedure you should avoid food and drink, and come to the office in loose and comfortable clothing. The medication will help you enter a deep state of calm. You’re still conscious, but will have little to no memory of the procedure afterward. Treh effects take time to wear off, so you’ll be a bit groggy. You should have a friend or family member on hand to take you home afterward.
IV
We reserve the deepest form of relaxation for those with major dental phobias, or those undergoing more extensive treatments, such as bone grafting or dental implant placement. We administer this intravenously, and you instantly enter a very deep state of calm, with no memory of the procedure afterward. A trained anesthesiologist will be on hand to monitor your vitals throughout the procedure, and the effects again take time to wear off completely, so you should have someone available to bring you home. Again, wear loose and comfortable clothing and in the hours before the procedure, be sure to avoid food and drink.
If you have issues that need to be addressed with oral surgery, such as missing teeth, wisdom teeth that need extraction, treatment for facial trauma, or jaw surgery, then please reach out to our team today. We can schedule a consultation and start care before the year ends and your 2023 dental benefits or health savings account funds disappear on December 31st. If you have any questions about our sedation options, or about our treatments to address your oral health concerns, then please feel free to reach out. We’ll happily answer your questions or address your concerns.
Schedule a Visit to Discuss Treating Your Smile
We will work hard to ensure your visit is a comfortable and positive experience, which is why we offer multiple calming options for those with dental anxiety or special needs, or those undergoing more extensive treatment options! If you would like to learn more about oral surgery and our calming treatment options, then contact your Santa Rosa, CA, oral surgeons by calling (707)545-4625.
