Pain Management & Oral Sedtion
Why You Might Need It:
Visiting the dentist can be intimidating, especially if you have experienced pain during a past visit. Let us help make your visit more comfortable with our pain management options.
There are 3 levels of sedation: minimal, moderate, and deep. We offer minimal oral sedation. We also offer nitrous oxide, or laughing gas.
All of these options are available to help you to relax and make your visit more enjoyable.
What is the Procedure?
There is an evaluation performed beforehand verifying you are healthy enough for the sedation and have an adequate airway.
The medication does not force you to fall asleep but it does make you more relaxed and feel as if time during the appointment goes by quicker.
The 2 requirements for oral sedation: 1) you will need a driver and 2) you need to come to your appointment fasting.
What to Expect After Your Appointment:
The effects of the sedation can linger for the day so you need to plan on taking the day off for the procedure. There is also an amnesia effect so you don’t remember the procedure like you would without the medication.
For the significantly anxious patient, a deeper level of sedation is recommended. However, we have been doing minimal oral sedation in conjunction with various dental procedures such as implant placement, wisdom teeth removal, and root canals since 2013 and patients who are mild to moderately anxious about their dental treatment do very well with it.
Please Note: Pregnancy is a contraindication to having minimal oral sedation.
Please feel free to call the office at (509) 927-5909) or request an appointment with any questions about adding sedation to your next visit.