If you feel nervous about seeing a dentist, never fear. At Downey Dental Arts, we provide safe and effective dental sedation options to help our patients relax and avoid pain during dental procedures. We offer different types and levels of sedation depending on the dental technique and your specific needs. Dental sedation is often helpful to soothe anxious children as well.
You might have heard of the term “sleep dentistry.” Sleep dentistry is the use of modern dental sedation techniques to help clients remain calm and free from anxiety during dental treatments. The types of dental sedation Downey Dental Arts offers include conscious sedation, twilight sedation, and unconscious sedation.
Conscious sedation will keep you awake during the dental procedure but relaxed and without a lot of pain. There are various ways to use conscious sedation, including local anesthesia, medicine tablets, and nitrous oxide gas. Conscious sedation is very common and used for everyday dental treatments such as routine teeth cleanings as well as procedures such as dental fillings and root canal therapy.
There is a middle ground between conscious and unconscious sedation. It is called twilight sedation. Twilight sedation will make you feel relaxed and almost like you are dreaming. You are partially conscious and can respond to requests but may not recall the dental procedure afterward. There are two main ways to administer twilight sedation, IV or nitrous oxide.
Unconscious sedation is also known as general anesthesia. This type of sedation completely puts you to sleep, so you are not awake during dental treatment or surgery. Unconscious sedation is usually administered through an IV or a breathing mask.
Oral sedation is consumed via the mouth. If you take a pill for your sedation, it is a type of oral sedation. Examples of oral sedation include valium and Ativan.
Nitrous oxide, aka “laughing gas,” has been used for many years as a fast-acting way to provide a sense of relaxation during dental treatment.
Different types of sedation will be administered differently, so we will explain what to expect prior to your dental procedure. Some administration methods include taking a pill before dental treatment, breathing in nitrous oxide through a mask, or having sedation delivered through an IV. How quickly the sedation kicks in depends on how we administer it. For example, IV sedation typically has the fastest effect.
Make sure you have someone to drive you to and from your dental appointment if you will be undergoing any type of sedation that could make you drowsy or affect your driving ability.
Dental sedation costs range depending on the procedure and what exactly is needed. Local anesthetics that numb the gums aren’t charged separately from treatments typically. Additional sedation options, particularly IV sedation, may add some costs to a procedure. In some cases, dental insurance can help with these costs. Talk to our friendly staff to discuss your options and our affordable financing plans.
Sedation Dentistry in Downey
We offer all types of dental sedation for our Southern California dental patients. Contact us today by calling (562) 445-3363 to schedule your appointment at Downey Dental Arts.
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