Some people are so overwhelmed and stressed by the very idea of dental care that they are unable to get into the dentist’s chair. Other people hate the feeling of feeling out of control or helpless during dental treatment.
Sedation dentistry is used to help people with these dentistry-related issues and many more. If you want to get more information about sedation treatments, keep reading this Q and A with our Toluca Lake dentists.
Q: What types of sedation dentistry are available?
A: Our Toluca Lake office offers a number of different sedation options in order to help a wide variety of patients. You may benefit from nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, sedation. For more complex dental procedures, or to combat intense dental anxiety, you may prefer oral conscious sedation.
Q: I’ve heard sedation dentistry called “sleep dentistry,” why is this?
A: Sleep dentistry is a commonly used synonym for sedation treatment. This term can be somewhat misleading, however, since many sedation treatments do not really put you to sleep at all. During nitrous oxide and oral conscious sedation treatments, for example, the patient actually remains conscious the entire time. If you undergo IV sedation, you will actually be put under for the treatment process. Sometimes people use the term “sleep dentistry” to talk about nitrous and oral conscious sedation because the experience for the patient can actually feel similar to being asleep, even though the patient remains conscious.
Q: Who is a good candidate for sedation treatment?
A: Because there are so many sedation options available in this day and age, a majority of dental patients are good candidates for some kind of relaxation dentistry. If you suffer from dental anxiety, or if you are planning on undergoing multi-phased dental treatment, sedation may be particularly helpful for you.
Our Toluca Lake sedation dentists are happy to answer any questions you may have and provide you with additional information. Give us a call to get started!