Do you suffer from dental anxiety? Are you nervous or scared at the thought of visiting the dentist?
At Stirling Smiles dental we understand that dental treatment can be very daunting for some patients which is why we provide sedation and sleep dentistry for patients who are nervous and apprehensive about their dental appointment.
With sedation patients still remain awake however don’t often remember what happened. It can be used for a full range of dental procedures from simple procedures such as scale and cleans to more invasive procedures such as wisdom teeth extraction, implant placement and long complex restorative procedures.
Different sedation options can be offered:
- Inhalation Sedation which may involve breathing in nitrous oxide gas (happy gas) or methoxyflurane gas (Penthrox). This option allows you to feel more relaxed, calm and comfortable. It is also quickly reversible hence a popular technique for children, in emergency situations and for more basic dental procedures.
- Oral sedation usually involves you taking a tablet an hour prior to your dental visit Oral sedation aims to make you feel more mellow and less anxious. Some patients may elect to take a tablet the night before their appointment to enable them a good night sleep.
- Intravenous IV sedation (twilight sedation) involves injecting a sedative drug into the blood system through your arm, inducing you in a state of deep calm where you remain conscious however are not able to remember much or anything at all. This type of sedation works very quickly and is beneficial for more complex and long procedures and for patients suffering from high levels of anxiety and dental phobia.
Please contact Stirling Smiles for any further queries regarding sleep dentistry where you can rely on us to make your visit to a dentist a painless and pleasant experience.