Fear and anxiety associated with a dental visit?
- Bad dental experience in the past?
- A strong gag reflex?
- Sensitive teeth?
- Difficulty getting numb?
- Complicated dental problems?
If you have any of the above, then sedation dentistry is for you.
How Oral Conscious Sedation Works?
Oral conscious sedation is an oral medication, similar to “Valium,” that works on the central nervous system to help patients relax and tolerate procedures that they would normally be too anxious to undergo. Patients are administered the medication in our office prior to the dental procedure. Many patients report they hardly remember the procedure, or any details of the procedure. Oral conscious sedation is very effective in the management of many dental phobias.
How IV Sedation Works
IV sedation is when a drug, usually of the anti-anxiety variety, is administered into the blood system during dental treatment. This is referred to as intravenous conscious sedation (aka “IV sedation”). During IV sedation you remain conscious but in a relaxed state. You will be able to respond to requests from your dentist.
However, you may not be able to remember much of the procedure. There are two factors that can cause this:
- IV sedation induces a state of deep relaxation and a feeling of not being bothered by what’s going on.
- The drugs used for IV sedation can produce either partial or full memory loss (amnesia) for the period of time when the drug first takes effect in until it wears off. As a result, time will appear to pass very quickly and you will not recall much or perhaps nothing at all. This will give you the feeling of being asleep during the procedure.
Please call us at 248-642-3800 if you have any questions or to schedule an appointment.