There are two main types of sedation used in dentistry: unconscious and conscious sedation. Most types of sedation dentistry involve the use of conscious sedatives that help patients relax, but don’t actually make them fall asleep. In fact, the use of the term “sleep dentistry” is misleading because most sedation dentistry practices use mild sedatives rather than the stronger methods used to bring unconsciousness.
Dental Conscious Sedation San Antonio
Sedation dentists Dr. Jurich and Dr. Stewart are experienced in oral conscious sedation, including laughing gas and anti-anxiety medications. They do not perform unconscious sedation, such as general anesthesia using an IV.
Patients that require unconscious sedation (including some special needs patients) are referred to a dentist or hospital that performs unconscious sedation dentistry.
Conscious Sedation for Dental Procedures
If a patient has dental anxiety or multiple procedures that need to be performed, sedation may be recommended both for patient comfort and for efficiency. If you need to have dental procedures done that take longer than a regular office visit, it will be more comfortable with a sedative.
With dental sedation we can often perform procedures more quickly and efficiently by condensing the work that would normally be performed in multiple office visits into just one or two visits. Another advantage of sedatives is that they can eliminate some of the muscle and jaw soreness following long dental procedures.
Sedation for Dental Anxiety Patients
At Jurich Dental you can reduce dental anxiety in a calm environment. If you wish, the doctor can give you laughing gas or an oral conscious sedation type of anti-anxiety medication (as a pill) prior to your office visit or the start of your dental procedure. Oral conscious sedation (using either laughing gas or anti-anxiety medications) will help you feel relaxed and at ease. Some people may feel so relaxed that they fall asleep and can enjoy a good nap during their dental work.
Call our office today and ask our caring team which options are best to help overcome your dental anxiety. At our Advanced Family & Cosmetic Dentistry office in San Antonio we will do everything in our power to give you a relaxing dental visit and help curb your anxiety.
