Conscious Sedation
West Linn, OR
Dentophobia is a condition marked by severe fear dentists and dental procedures, and millions of people suffer from this severe phobia. While we here at ZenTech Dentistry pride ourselves on being kind and gentle, we understand that not everybody loves going to the dentist and we strive to accommodate all types of patients. Anxiety about dental appointments is highly common, which is why we offer an alternative to alertness called conscious sedation during dental procedures such as root canals, bone grafts or dental implants. This allows our patients to get dental work done without any fear or discomfort while in our exam chair.
What Do I Need to Know about Conscious Sedation?
Conscious sedation is a fantastic option for our patients who may otherwise hesitate about getting a dental procedure done at our office. It’s important that you know that conscious sedation is entirely safe and comes with minimal risk to you. Unlike general anesthesia, which does require a special medical facility and breathing assistance, you’re awake for conscious sedation and able to breathe on your own and remain alert. Many of our patients find this to be empowering, as they’re able to be relaxed and without pain but also not unconscious during the procedure.
There are three primary types of conscious sedation that you can find at our office. These include inhalation, oral, and intravenous sedation. Inhalation sedation uses nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and is considered light sedation. We place a mask over your nose, and you breathe in the gas. It causes feelings of deep relaxation and euphoria and less perception of pain, and as soon as the procedure is over, we take the mask off, and you quickly become alert again.
Oral sedation is usually administered an hour before your procedure and involves taking a pill. It may make you feel very sleepy, and the effects of it may take longer to wear off. However, you’ll be very calm and relaxed during your procedure. Rarely, our patients do sometimes vomit after receiving this type of sedation.
Lastly, intravenous sedation (IV) is an option for our patients, too. It’s faster than oral sedation because it goes through your veins. When we use IV sedation, we can control exactly how much of sedation you’re getting from us. It does take longer to wear off, though, compared to inhalation sedation.
Feeling a little bit confused and queasy after sedation is completely normal. The effects of the sedation typically do wear off fairly quickly, and for many of our patients, the benefits greatly outweigh any discomfort that can arise from using it. While local anesthesia is fantastic for numbing you from pain, when you need a little bit of extra help to stay relaxed during your procedure, conscious sedation can be exactly what you need to get the dental care you require.
If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment or you want to learn more about how conscious sedation can help keep you at ease during your next dental procedure, please give us here at ZenTech Dentistry a call today at (503) 765-9699. We’re more than happy to answer any questions that you may have about conscious sedation or help you schedule a dental exam with our highly trained, professional, and extremely gentle staff.
Oral (Conscious) Sedation
Oral sedation dentistry allows Dr. Frank Sioda to create a safe and comfortable dental experience for patients who avoid the dentist out of fear.
With sedation, your dentist can work more effectively by helping you become as comfortable as possible using well established and proven methods. There are a variety of sedation medications that are taken orally or "sublingually" (under the tongue). All sedation medicines are administered at our offices, under the care of an assistant.
This type of dental care does require that you have a driver to bring you home from your appointment, as it takes several hours for the medication to completely wear off. For more information about oral sedation please contact our office at ZenTech Dentistry! |
Appointment
(503) 765-9699
