Sedation Dentistry Cottonwood Heights
Visiting the Dentist Doesn’t Have to Be Unbearable
Dental anxiety and fear can play a large role in whether or not you pick up the phone to schedule an important treatment or your routine checkup and cleaning. At White Peak Dental, we understand how distressing visiting the dentist can be if you’ve had a bad experience or are overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of the office. That’s why we offer multiple different methods of dental sedation in Cottonwood Heights. If you feel you could benefit from any of them, call our office before your visit.
Why Choose White Peak Dental for Cosmetic Dentistry?
- A Welcoming & Friendly Dentist & Team
- We Accept & Maximize Dental Insurance
- Honest, Pressure-Free Dentistry for All Ages
Oral Conscious Sedation
If you experience more heightened dental anxiety or fear that keeps you from attending your routine checkups and cleanings or scheduling important dental treatments, oral conscious sedation in Cottonwood Heights may be ideal for you. Our friendly team can help assess your candidacy for this sedation method before your appointment to help you have the most relaxing and positive experience possible.
What is Oral Conscious Sedation?
Oral conscious sedation is administered in the form of a single pill that you will take before your visit. Typically, this medication is in the diazepam family, like Valium or Halcion. Within about 30 minutes after taking it, you’ll begin to feel the effects kick in. At this time, we’ll get you comfortable in the treatment chair and start your procedure or cleaning. You’ll remain conscious during the entire process, but you may feel sleepy or groggy afterward, remembering a few details from the actual appointment.
How Does Oral Conscious Sedation Work?
Our team will typically prescribe you a single pill before your appointment that you can pick up from your local pharmacy. About 30 minutes to an hour before your appointment, you’ll take this pill to allow ample time for the effects of the medication to kick-in. You’ll need to have a trusted friend or family member plan to both drop you off and pick you up from your treatment. By the time you arrive, you’ll feel at-ease and more relaxed than usual, which means the sedation is working! While the medication can make some patients feel tired and even fall asleep, that’s not always the case for everyone.
After your procedure or cleaning is complete, our team will release you into the care of your trusted friend or family member. Because the effects of the medication can linger for up to 12 hours, you’ll want to plan to take that day off of work ahead of time and avoid any type of rigorous activity.
Who is a Good Candidate for Oral Conscious Sedation?
Oral conscious sedation is typically recommended for patients who:
- Avoid visiting the dentist due to anxiety or fear
- Have a strong gag reflex that makes dental treatment difficult
- Need to undergo multiple procedures or a longer treatment
- Don’t become easily numbed by local anesthesia
- Have physical disabilities that make sitting in the treatment chair uncomfortable
If you believe oral conscious sedation could help you have a better overall experience at the dental office, give our team at White Peak Dental a call.
Nitrous Oxide Sedation
Have you heard of laughing gas? That’s nitrous oxide! This mild, calming form of sedation dentistry has been used for decades, and it’s suitable for a wide range of patients, including those who struggle with dental-related anxiety. If you are interested in finding out if you’re a candidate, then take the next step: reach out to our Cottonwood Heights dental team. Or, you can read on to learn more!
Who is a Good Candidate for Nitrous Oxide?
Nitrous oxide has numerous benefits, including that it can help patients with sensitive gag reflexes and dental-related anxiety have a more pleasant, positive experience in the treatment chair. So, if you struggle with either of these or the sights and sounds of the dental office put you on-edge, don’t hesitate to ask us about adding sedation dentistry to your treatment plan! Once we have the opportunity to review your medical and dental history, we can determine if nitrous oxide is right for you.
How Does Nitrous Oxide Work?
Nitrous oxide sedation is administered in our office by our caring, experienced, and gentle dental team. First, we’ll place a small mask over your nose and ask you to breathe through your nose. That way, you can inhale the colorless, odorless gas. The effects will kick in nearly immediately, putting your body and mind at ease. Our team will be monitoring you throughout your appointment, and, since you won’t be asleep, you can easily respond to the cues we give you or ask any questions you have.
Aftercare for Nitrous Oxide
Before you know it, your treatment will be complete! At this time, we have you breathe in oxygen to help flush the effects from your system. Within just a few minutes, you’ll feel back to your normal self. Since there aren’t any lingering side effects, like drowsiness, you won’t have to arrange for someone to drive you home or take the rest of the day off of work or school. Instead, you can leave our office and tackle the rest of your day!
If you want to learn more about nitrous oxide – whether it’s about candidacy or cost – don’t hesitate to reach out to us! Remember, we’re here to help, and we want you to have the pleasant, anxiety-free, and comfortable experience you deserve while taking care of your smile.
IV Sedation
IV sedation is the strongest method offered at White Peak Dental, as it involves administering the medication directly into the bloodstream for a near-immediate effect. We typically recommend it for patients who have severe dental phobias or who are undergoing a more extensive and lengthy procedure, as the effects are greater and last longer. Because the sedation won’t wear off for several hours, you’ll need to be prepared to have someone ready to drop you off and pick you up from our office.
What Is IV Sedation?
IV sedation is administered directly into the bloodstream through a vein, so the effects kick in almost immediately. This treatment induces a deep state of relaxation, and it is often referred to as “twilight” sedation since patients remain conscious but generally do not remember anything from their procedure. While you are sedated, the team at White Peak Dental will monitor your vital signs such as blood pressure, oxygen levels, body temperature, and heart rate to ensure your safety. The effects may take an entire day to wear off, so you will need a trusted individua to drive you to and from our office. In most cases, this treatment uses sedatives like Midazolam and Diazepam, and the precise dosage depends on the patient. While IV sedation does not eliminate pain completely, it will dull the senses and prevent you from remembering the appointment.
Who Is a Good Candidate for IV Sedation?
IV Sedation is typically used to help patients with severe dental phobias or anxiety receive dental care comfortably or to keep an individual calm and still throughout an intensive or lengthy treatment process. However, it can also be a good fit for a patient with a sensitive gag reflex that makes routine dental care difficult as well as those who have difficulty getting numb when receiving other forms of sedation. It’s possible to experience an allergic reaction during dental sedation, so please be up-front and thorough with Dr. Hansen about your medical history during your consultation.
The Benefits of IV Sedation
IV sedation can help those with severe dental phobias avoid forming traumatic memories that can make them more reluctant to seek dental care in the future, which can make it easier for many people to receive routine dental care that helps prevent oral infections. Dr. Hansen will control the flow of the sedative during the treatment to ensure that you receive the right amount, and the effects take place almost immediately since it is administered directly into the bloodstream.