Does the thought of visiting the dentist fill you with anxiety and unease? Do you avoid making appointments for cleanings, checkups, or necessary dental work because the thought of sitting in the dental chair is more than you can stand?
You’re not alone. Many people experience dental anxiety and it seriously affects their oral health. And, when your oral health suffers, so does your overall quality of life.
At Advanced Care Dentistry, we understand that we may not be your favorite place to visit, so we strive to make your experience here as pleasant and stress-free as possible. That’s why we offer sedation dentistry to help you feel more relaxed and still get the oral health care you need.
Our experienced team has been providing sleep, or sedation, dentistry for decades. We carefully tailor sedation to your health, level of anxiety, and the work that’s to be done. Here are some of the options we provide.
With oral sedation, you simply take a pill, like Valium® or Ativan®, an hour or so before your visit. The effects are mild to moderate, depending on the dosage we prescribe. The pill will make you feel drowsy, but you’ll be awake and able to answer questions. Sometimes, once the procedure starts, you even drift off into sleep.
You will need a driver to take you to and from your appointment.
Inhalation sedation makes you feel more comfortable during your visit, but has no lasting effect so it doesn’t make you too groggy to drive home or carry on with your day. You may know inhalation sedation as “laughing gas.” It’s administered through a mask that’s placed over your nose.
We are in control of how much gas you receive and always check in during your procedure to make sure it’s working.
This sedation is delivered intravenously, through a vein. It works quickly and is adjusted throughout your procedure to ensure you’re comfortable. You’ll feel like you’re asleep and won’t likely remember anything that went on while you were in the chair. You become disassociated from your surroundings, so fear and anxiety isn’t an issue.
Let us know if you feel anxious about visiting our office or having any work done. Your fears may be due to a low pain threshold, sensitive teeth, or a bad gag reflex. You may have had a traumatic dental visit in their past or need a large amount of dental work done. It’s okay to have fears and request sedation dentistry even if these conditions don’t affect you.
Dr. Thomas Marxen has a special accreditation that makes him qualified and able to provide all of these forms of sedation dentistry in office. Of course, if you have a severe case of dental anxiety or have a disorder that prevents you from sitting still in the dental chair, we can recommend you for deep sedation — or general anesthesia — so you can get necessary dental work done.
Avoiding the dentist due to fear may only compound your problems. Without preventive dentistry care visits or interventions when you have a cavity or gum disease, you risk creating decay and disease that requires even more invasive and involved dental work.
Call the office or reach out via this website to learn about your sedation options so you can safely and comfortably receive the oral care you need.
