Millions of adults and children throughout the world suffer from a degree of fear or anxiety when they visit the dentist. If you are among them, rest assured that Dr. Vanderbrook and our team completely understand your feelings. That is why we offer multiple types of sedation dentistry, including nitrous oxide and oral conscious sedation. With the help of these
advanced services
, you may be able to enjoy easy and stress-free dental treatment.
Nitrous Oxide Sedation
If it’s time for your six-month checkup, you’re struggling with a painful toothache, or you want to fix a few imperfections in your smile, but you struggle with dental-related anxiety, then don’t hesitate to ask our team about dental nitrous oxide in Dallas. Widely known as “laughing gas,” this calming solution has been used to help patients have the calm, comfortable experience that they deserve for decades. If you’d like to learn more about it, give us a call or read on!
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Who is a Good Candidate for Nitrous Oxide?
Since nitrous oxide is one of the mildest forms of sedation, we often recommend it for children and adults who:
- Struggle with mild to moderate anxiety about dental treatment
- Have a fear of needles
- Experience head/neck/jaw pain
- Have a sensitive gag reflex
- Need extensive dental care, like multiple tooth extractions
Of course, there are also some patients who aren’t candidates. For example, nitrous oxide isn’t recommended for patients who are pregnant, who are allergic, or who have a breathing condition, like asthma.
How Does Nitrous Oxide Work?
In addition to being quite safe, nitrous oxide is very convenient. Once you settle into the treatment chair, a member of our team will position the nasal mask in place and ask you to breathe through your nose. Since the gas is colorless and nearly odorless, you likely won’t notice anything – until you begin to feel the effects. After a few minutes, you will feel a wave of relaxation wash over you. When you’re ready to begin, we will provide the preventive, cosmetic, or emergency dentistry that you need or want, adjusting the flow of nitrous oxide as needed throughout the process.
Aftercare for Nitrous Oxide
One of the many benefits of nitrous oxide is that the effects wear off almost as quickly as they set in. As a result, you will be able to resume your normal routine immediately after your appointment. You should even be able to drive yourself home! All we ask is that you follow any aftercare instructions we provide you with pertaining to the care you received, like rinsing with warm saltwater periodically or using a cold compress for 10 minutes at a time.
Oral Conscious Sedation
The team at Vanderbrook Family Dentistry understands that many people may need a little extra help remaining calm and still during their oral health treatments, and oral conscious sedation may be the best way to make your dental appointments stress-free. This safe and effective dental sedation method will put you in a deeper state of relaxation than nitrous oxide, which makes it great for many patients with severe anxiety about dentist’s offices or other issues that make oral care difficult. Here’s a quick guide to how oral conscious sedation works from the friendly team at our Dallas office, but please contact us if you’d like to know more.
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What Is Oral Conscious Sedation?
Oral conscious sedation involves no needles or face mask, and it is typically recommended for adult patients who are anxious about seeing their dentists as well as those with strong gag reflexes or health conditions that make it difficult to sit still in the treatment chair. The process involves us prescribing a small pill (such as Halcion, Valium, or Ativan) to be taken briefly before your appointment. The effects will begin within minutes and will last through your appointment and for several hours afterward.
How Does Oral Conscious Sedation Work?
The effects of oral conscious sedation will last throughout your entire appointment and for a few hours afterward, so you’ll need to arrange for a trusted person to drive you to and from our office and monitor you for some time while you recover. Once the sedative takes effect, we will begin treating your smile. You can expect an easy experience, and most people do not have any memory of their procedure once the sedative wears off, making this method ideal for patients who feel nervous when they are exposed to the sights, sounds, and other sensations of dental treatment. You’ll still be conscious and able to respond to instructions and questions while sedated, and we’ll carefully monitor your vital signs to make sure you are safe throughout the process.
Are You a Good Candidate for Oral Conscious Sedation?
Oral conscious sedation can be a great option for many patients who deal with issues like:
- Fear, anxiety, or nervousness that makes it difficult for them to attend dental appointments.
- Sensitive gag reflexes that make it difficult for dentists to work in their mouths.
- Being scheduled for several treatments during a single appointment.
- Being uncomfortable sitting still for long periods.
- Difficulty achieving the desired effects of other anesthetic options.
- Previous negative oral care experiences.
