Dental fear (medically known as dentophobia) can stem from several factors, including past negative experiences, low pain tolerance, or feeling a loss of control during treatment. For some, the sounds, smells, and sensations associated with dental work can trigger anxiety. For others, a fear of needles or embarrassment about oral health can contribute to this fear. Understanding these underlying reasons can help address and manage dental anxiety effectively.

Do you experience sweaty hands or a racing heart at the thought of a dentist? Do you keep postponing your dental visits for no apparent reason? These are classic signs of dental fear, and you need sedation dentistry to break this fear cycle.

Other candidates for sedation dentistry include persons with.

• A strong gag reflex
• Inability to sit for too long in a dental chair
• Special needs
• Low pain tolerance
• Inability to numb with local anesthetics
• Complex dental issues that require lengthy treatments

Dental anxiety isn’t the same for everyone. We offer several sedation options to suit different needs. Our sedation dentistry options include:

• Nitrous oxide: Also known as laughing or happy gas, nitrous oxide sedation involves inhaling an odorless and colorless gas through a small mask in your mouth. The sedation effects are almost immediate once you inhale the gas. As long as the mask is in place, you’ll experience a calm and relaxed feeling. Laughing gas is the mildest form of sedation and is ideal for all patients, including children. The effects of nitrous oxide wear off immediately after the mask is off.
• Oral Minimal Sedation: If nitrous oxide can’t be administered for various medical reasons, your dentist administers a simple pill you take shortly before your procedure. The sedative pill deeply relaxes you without causing you to lose your unconsciousness. The sedation effects take some time to dissipate, so you need someone to accompany you to and from our office.
• Oral Moderate Sedation: It is a higher level of sedation than the former two that can be offered for more invasive procedures or patients with higher levels of anxiety. The effects of sedation last almost the entire day. Therefore, you would need a trusted person, a family member, a relative, or a friend to drive you home.

Although sedation dentistry is sometimes called “sleep dentistry,” this term is somewhat misleading. Sedation dentistry involves using medication to help patients relax during dental procedures, but it doesn’t typically induce sleep. Most sedation dentistry options manage anxiety while ensuring you remain responsive during treatment.