Oral Sedation

Dental patients with generalized anxiety, belonephobia (fear of needles and sharp instruments), prior dental trauma, or generalized fear of the dentist can take oral medication in order to reduce their anxieties. A variety of single and incremental dose protocols are used to medicate the patient as early as the day before treatment. Medication additionally helps reduce memory or the sights and smells of the dental office to avoid recall of any trauma. The sedative effect allows more dentistry to be completed in fewer appointments as well as allowing complex procedures to be performed in less time.

Oral sedation dentistry can benefit a wide range of patients, including people with:

• High dental anxiety and fear
• A severe gag reflex
• Time constraints—those who need to get more dentistry done in fewer visits
• Chronic or acute jaw soreness
• Physical limitations such as back and neck problems
• Difficulty getting numb
• A reluctance to previously complete treatment plans
• Extensive treatment needs
• A desire to have dentistry done comfortably while they are fully relaxed

Nitrous Oxide

Because of the advanced training of our doctors and staff, we are able to provide nitrous oxide sedation in order to make your surgery as comfortable and stress-free as possible.

If you wish to have nitrous oxide sedation for your procedure, it is customary to see you first for a consultation. The doctor will review your medical history and discuss the different anesthetic options with you. At this time a determination will be made if you are a candidate for nitrous oxide sedation. Safety is always our primary concern.

Local Anesthesia

Topical anesthetics are applied to mouth tissues with a swab to prevent pain on the surface level. Topical anesthetics are used to numb an area in preparation for administering an injectable local anesthetic.

Injectable local anesthetics, such as Novocain, prevent pain in a specific area of your mouth during treatment by blocking the nerves that sense or transmit pain and numbing mouth tissues. They cause the temporary numbness often referred to as a "fat lip" feeling.