Sedation Dentistry
Sedation Dentistry in Miami
Painless Dental Treatments From Our Miami Dentists
Dental anxiety is a common problem that can prevent you from seeking proper preventive care to maintain a healthy smile. To combat dental anxiety and ensure comfortable, complete care for each of our patients in Miami, Elite Dental Group offers dental sedation services that will make your dentist visits to our office stress-free. Light sedatives or dental anesthesia are used to promote relaxation and comfort during any dental procedure. This can help relieve the stress of dental anxiety and prevent you from skipping regular checkups because of discomfort in the dentist’s chair. Below, you can get a closer look at whether sedation is right for you along with an overview of dental treatments.
Who Needs Sedation Dentistry?
Anyone who regularly experiences dental anxiety might benefit from asking the gentle dentist about conscious sedation or sleep dentistry options to ease the fear and discomfort that comes along with every dental appointment. There are many sources of dental anxiety, which may include fear of pain during tooth extraction procedures, embarrassment, feelings of helplessness, and negative past experiences at the dentist. Talking to your gentle dentist about the source of your anxiety and exploring treatment options will allow you to get the care you need without a high level of stress. If you avoid regular dental care due to anxiety, you may be at a higher risk for periodontal disease, tooth decay, and a number of other issues that could require complex restorative care down the road.
What Types of Dental Sedation Are Available?
General Anesthesia
General anesthesia is a form of sedation that renders the patient completely unconscious during a given procedure. Also known as deep sedation, general anesthesia is either inhaled by the patient through a breathing mask or tube or administered through an intravenous (IV) line.* Since it takes several minutes to hours for the effects of general anesthesia to completely wear off, it’s imperative that you have a ride ready and waiting for you should you choose this type of sedation for your dental treatment. Before you can be declared eligible for general anesthesia, our dental professionals will give you a medical examination to assess any potential risks. Due to its intensity, general dental anesthesia is rarely needed for procedures outside of oral surgery, so painless dentists will likely recommend one of the three lighter options below. These are both low-risk methods that will let you stay awake but relaxed during your care.*Note that IV sedation is not offered at our office.
Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, is a form of conscious sedation and is one of the most commonly used dental sedatives in general and cosmetic dentistry today. At Elite Dental Group, we often administer nitrous oxide to our patients during cleanings and exams.
How Does Nitrous Oxide Work?
Nitrous oxide is administered through a mask worn during treatment. Gas is inhaled via the nose and enters the bloodstream where it begins give you a sense of relaxation with effects that wear off shortly after the mask is removed. While under the effect of nitrous oxide, you are still completely aware of the dental procedures being performed on your teeth, but you are in an induced relaxation that eliminates any anxiety or stress you may typically feel during dental work. Because there are no lingering effects with nitrous oxide, you can drive yourself to and from your appointment.
Oral Sedatives
For more complex procedures such as extractions, root canals, and periodontal treatment, your dentist may prescribe an oral sedative to be taken about one hour before your appointment. Oral sedatives will cause drowsiness, so you will need to arrange a ride to and from the dentist’s office when using these drugs. You can learn more about oral sedatives below.
How Do Oral Sedatives Work?
Oral sedatives administered in pill form and ingested by the patient minutes before a dental procedure. Once you have ingested your oral sedative, you will begin to feel its effects within a few minutes once the sedative is digested and absorbed by your blood. You level of sedation will be dictated by the dosage given and can range anywhere from minimal sedation (where you are awake but relaxed) to moderate sedation (where you may slur your words when speaking and not remember much of the procedure). In either case, we recommend having a ride ready after taking an oral sedative for your dental procedure.
Local Anesthesia
For many dental patients, anxiety or stress about visiting the dentist’s office arises from fear of pain. After all, who wants to be uncomfortable during any kind of treatment? If pain is your major issue and you do not wish to be sedated with any of the above methods, we offer local anesthesia to help you stay comfortable during your dental treatments. Local anesthesia is a type of medication administered to a specific region of the body (in this case, the mouth) to anesthetize it. Patients are administered local anesthetic via a small shot and typically experience numbness and difficulty chewing for several hours following the initial dosage. We typically use local anesthesia for minimally-invasive dental procedures such as cavity filling or crown-laying.
At Elite Dental Group, we take every possible step to ensure patient comfort and a personalized treatment experience for residents of the Miami community. To schedule a dentist appointment with us or learn more about our state-of-the-art sedation dentistry practice, give us a call today at 305-559-7001.