Sedation Dentistry
Maybe in the past you have been afraid to go to the dentist for various reasons, whether it was general anxiety or a painful past experience. Now, with sedation dentistry you no longer have to be afraid of going to the dentist. There are many reasons that patients are uncomfortable with the idea going to the dentist, and we’re here to ensure that none of those reasons should keep you from having the smile that you deserve. General anxiety can arise with the noises, sights, and sounds associated with the dentist’s office, or even from a sensitive gag reflex. We want to provide a relaxing and comfortable environment for our patients whether they are coming in for a routine cleaning or a more complex dental procedure. Since we know how important your time is, sedation dentistry also allows us to work more quickly and efficiently – which decreases the time that you spend in the dental chair and also decreases any associated muscle or joint soreness that might occur after a dental procedure. Everyone deserves to have a healthy, beautiful, and confident smile with the ability to chew food without pain. We understand if you’ve been putting off dental work for years, but now there is a solution.
Dr. Sunny Pahouja practices conscious sedation. A person’s level of sedation is considered a continuum, which can be graded on a scale from no sedation to deep sedation. Conscious sedation falls on the scale at a point where the patients are comfortable, relaxed, can still talk, and they can maintain their own airway. In other words, the patient can breathe without the need for assistance from the dentist.
Advantages to patients include:
- Treatment is completed when you are in a more relaxed mood.
- You will have less difficulty sitting through a lengthy procedure.
- Multiple treatments and full mouth restorations can occur at during the same visit.
- Less discomfort after treatment.
Anti-Anxiety Pills
The most commonly prescribed dental related drugs that treat anxiety belong to the “benzodiazepine” family. Drugs such as Valium, Halcion, Xanax, or Ativan. These drugs decrease anxiety by binding and toning down activity within “fear” receptors in the brain.
There are two different types of Benzodiazepines:
- Sedative-Hypnotics: These drugs induce calm, including drowsiness and even sleep. This sleep state is actually a form of hypnosis which is a form of physiological sleep.
- Anti-Anxiety Drugs: These are drugs which relieve anxiety and induce a state of calm and relaxation.
Please note that you shouldn’t travel on your own after you’ve taken any of these drugs. Make sure you have an escort, even if you traveled by bus or foot! It’s easy to become disorientated.
