Dental Fear and Anxiety

The Doctor has several medications available to help create more relaxed and comfortable dental visits. Some drugs control pain, some help you relax, and others put you into a deep sleep during dental treatment. You and your dentist can discuss a number of factors when deciding which drugs to use for your treatment: the type of procedure, your overall health, history of allergies and your anxiety level are considered when determining which approach is best for your particular case. Working together you and your dentist can choose the most appropriate steps to make your dental visit as comfortable as possible.

Some of your options for sedation include the following.

• Nitrous oxide (laughing gas)
• Intravenous (IV) sedation, also known as twilight sleep

   All the doctors that perform IV sedation are certified by The State Board, are versed in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), and your dental team is certified in basic life support.  With safe and proven techniques, patients receive sedative drugs which work rapidly to create a relaxed state that is maintained and monitored throughout treatment.  Your vital signs are constantly being monitored during the procedure.  IV sedation has a more predictable and controllable outcome as opposed to oral sedation, for which you just take a pill for anxiety reduction.