Four Reasons to Request Dental Sedation
At The Center For Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry, we value your comfort. That’s why we offer a variety of sedation dentistry options for our Newport Beach patients. If you’re someone who is curious about dental sedation or wants to learn more, here are four common scenarios when sedation is usually recommended…
Dental Anxiety or History of Dental Phobia
Past experiences, tooth pain, and dental anxiety of all levels can lead to serious dental phobia. And with dental phobia comes avoiding dental care. In turn, minor oral health issues become complex dental needs that are lengthier and more expensive to correct.
Whether you have mild, occasional dental anxiety or a history of severe dental phobia, sedation can help. When you have the peace of mind knowing you’ll be completely comfortable, you can finally catch up on the care that you need.
Sedation is often the key to taking control over your oral health again. Without it, delayed dental care would ultimately lead to serious pain, dental emergencies, and even tooth loss.
Sedation is a wonderful way to minimize your nervousness and overcome dental phobia for good. In fact, many of our patients with anxiety find that after their first sedation appointment, they no longer ask to be “put to sleep” during their dental procedures. Dr. Yazdan’s gentle care techniques are so reassuring that a lighter sedative (such as nitrous oxide/laughing gas) can be used, or none at all!
Dental anxiety is nothing to feel embarrassed of. An estimated 1 in 10 adults have at least some level of anxiety when it comes to seeing the dentist!
Complex Smile Makeover or Rehabilitation
Anytime someone is planning a complex reconstruction or makeover case, there are typically multiple restorations and teeth involved. Instead of needing to schedule numerous procedures over the course of weeks or months, sedation can streamline your smile makeover experience.
With sedation, you can usually plan to complete several types of treatments in the same sitting. Trying to perform all of those procedures in a non-sedation visit would be lengthy. Even if you don’t have dental anxiety, it could be difficult to feel like sitting there for that long. By combining them into one longer procedure (with the help of a sedative) you can essentially forget everything that’s going on and then “come to” afterward.
Some types of sedatives can last for several hours. Chances are you may be back home before the medication starts wearing off. That’s why it’s important to have a trusted friend or family member accompany you on the date of your procedure. They’ll need to drive you home and look after you until you feel like yourself again.
When smile rehabilitation involves complex procedures — such as root canal therapy or dental implants — knowing that you’ll be sedated makes the day of the procedure less stressful for everyone. Comfort and efficiency are key!
Oral Surgery Procedures
Sedation dentistry is common among most oral surgery treatments. Common oral surgeries include procedures like wisdom tooth removal, teeth extractions, and dental implant placement, periodontal surgery, etc. Even though local anesthetic (numbing medication) is more than adequate to keep you comfortable, it’s usually more efficient for everyone to incorporate sedation into the planned appointment. That way you’re as comfortable as possible and the procedure can be completed in less time.
Depending on the type of oral surgery you’re getting, you may want a lighter or heavier form of dental sedation. Something simple like nitrous oxide can take the edge off, or a deeper IV sedation will make it seem as if you’ve slipped through the entire procedure. Dr. Yazdan will discuss the type of treatment you’re having, personal goals, and past dental experiences to help you find the perfect sedation method for your needs. Chances are you’ll have at least a couple of options to choose from.
You Just Want to Relax!
There’s nothing wrong with simply wanting to “nap through your dental visit” or tune everything out. If you’re someone who prefers the ultimate level of comfort during routine dentistry, sedation is a great add-on to your scheduled procedure. You don’t need to have a history of dental anxiety or dental phobia to request sedation. It’s available for almost any healthy adult. Even younger patients (including teens or children) qualify for certain types of sedation.
Sometimes sedatives just help you to sit still longer, not have to worry about a sensitive gag reflex, or tune out the sounds around you. Instead you can simply kick back, relax, and catch up on all of your dental care in one sitting. Depending on the type of sedation that you’re getting, you can enjoy fewer appointments!
Is Dental Sedation Right for You?
To learn more about the different types of sedation in our Newport Beach dental office — or for help overcoming your dental anxiety — call The Center For Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry today!
About Dr. Yazdan
1 Comment. Leave new
Just wanting to relax in a dental treatment was something I really liked reading about. I’m the kind of person that has slight reactions to various dental tools and substances, so just sleeping through all of it sounds better for me. The next time I need a dental treatment of any kind, I’ll ask a dental sedation service to help me out.
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