While Dr. Julie Spaniel and the team at Summerwood Aesthetic Dentistry makes every effort to ensure our patients feel comfortable during their appointments, we understand that some people have deep-seated anxiety when it comes to visiting the dentist. At the same time, oral health is too important for people to let their fear prevent them from receiving general and restorative dental care. That is a big reason why Summerwood Aesthetic Dentistry offers sedation dentistry options to patients who would like assistance staying relaxed while in a dentist chair.
The Benefits of Sedation Dentistry
When patients are sedated, they are overcome with a feeling of calmness throughout their body and mind. Instead of panicking and cringing throughout their appointment, they can lie back and more easily ignore the fact that they are at the dentist. The fear of the dentist should disappear, even if only temporarily.
Sedation dentistry can also diminish the patient’s capacity to experience pain. While Dr. Spaniel numbs the mouth for any procedure known to cause discomfort, patients who have been sedated should feel extra comfortable during the appointment.
Better still, sedation dentistry is great for patients who have a sensitive gag reflex or difficulty keeping their mouth open for extended periods of time. Once relaxed, patients find it much easier to keep their mouths open, which is especially useful for procedures that require a significant amount of time. Since patients do not experience time in a normal manner while sedated, a longer appointment does not feel long either.
Sedation Options
Summerwood Aesthetic Dentistry have two types of sedatives to best meet the needs of each patient. The first type is oral sedation, which is administered in pill form. Patients swallow the pill about one hour before a procedure is performed. Because patients are typically drowsy for several hours after the appointment is complete, patients will need to have someone else drive them home from our office.
The other option is nitrous oxide, which you may already be familiar with by its other name: laughing gas. Patients breathe in the nitrous oxide through a mask. This puts them in a relaxed state for a few minutes, but they can still communicate with Dr. Spaniel and follow her orders as necessary. Because laughing gas wears off quickly, patients are safe to drive themselves home after.
Have a Relaxing Experience with Dr. Spaniel
If the thought of scheduling a dental checkup fills you with dread or you have indefinitely postponed an important procedure that requires a drill, you may be a great candidate for sedation dentistry. To see why so many patients put their trust in Dr. Spaniel, please call (503) 906-8600 to schedule your next dental appointment at our Tigard, OR office.