Sedation

A lot of people avoid visiting the dentist for fear of having to undergo a painful procedure. This anxiety is quite common and leads to a delay in treatment that can prove to be more painful, costly, and time-consuming.

IV (intravenous) sedation is a conventional sedation technique where the sedative is directly injected into your veins. This helps general dentists perform the procedure while keeping you calm. You will be awake during the procedure but almost numb. This type of sedation is useful during complex procedures like tooth extraction and attaching dental implants.

IV sedation helps to maintain a deeply relaxed state, customize the dosage level as per the requirement and diminishes gag reflex.

Please reach out to your dentist to see if you are a good candidate for IV sedation.

Nitrous Oxide Sedation

Nitrous oxide, also known as ‘laughing gas’ is a mild sedative that is administered in gaseous form by combining it with oxygen. This can greatly reduce stress and anxiety before a complicated treatment.

The patient is conscious during the treatment and can talk to their dentist. Once the procedure is complete, the nitrous oxide gas is turned off and the patient is administered oxygen to flush out any gas in the body. This brings back the patient to their normal state as the effect wears off immediately.

How does it work?

Nitrous oxide goes through the lungs and enters your bloodstream and travels up to your brain. The brain’s neurotransmitters then release dopamine, opioids, and endorphins that create a feeling of euphoria. The body goes into a relaxed state and calms you down.

Side-effects

Some small side-effects associated with laughing gas are headaches, shivering, excessive sweating, fatigue, and nausea.

Laughing gas is a safe way to calm someone before a procedure takes place and is quite easy to administer as well.

Oral Sedation

These are sedatives in the form of a pill that is taken orally. This takes some time to take effect and wear off. It is advised that someone accompanies you from the clinic after the procedure. You will still be conscious during the entire procedure to interact with your dentist. Please consult your dentist to know more about this form of sedation.