Sedation Dentistry

We are pleased to be able to offer our patients what’s known as oral conscious sedation, a technique that can make your dental visits more comfortable and stress-free. It’s used to relax you without putting you to sleep: you remain fully conscious and able to talk, walk, and breathe on your own, but you are less aware of your surroundings, the passage of time, and nearby activity.

The night before your appointment, you take a mild pill that allows you to sleep well and be rested and relaxed the next day. An hour before your appointment, you take a second pill. We may also administer nitrous oxide (laughing gas) during the procedure. We will be monitoring your blood pressure and blood oxygen with a pulse oximeter during the procedure. You’ll need to have someone drive you to and from our practice.

This sedation method is particularly appropriate for patients who are very apprehensive about dental care, especially those who avoid dental care due to these fears. Sedation dentistry is also sometimes used when a patient has a need for a lengthy, extensive procedure or combination of procedures. This is done to avoid the discomfort of spending so long in the dentist’s chair. You must be healthy and have had a recent physical by your family doctor in order to be a good candidate for conscious oral sedation dentistry. Medical conditions such as heart disease or use of certain medications may affect your eligibility.

How does it make you feel? Drowsy and dozy, as if you’d had a few glasses of wine, for example. You will probably not remember much of the procedure, if you remember any of it at all. After you’ve been driven home, you’ll feel like sleeping, and we recommend that you have someone like a friend or family member to stay and keep an eye on you for a few hours.

Please contact us if you feel that oral conscious sedation might be right for you.