What is Sedation Dentistry?

In our practice all Intravenous Sedation and General Anesthesia is provided by one of our Board Certified MD Anesthesiologists.
All patients are monitored using state-of-the-art monitoring equipment.

Sedation dentistry is a term that refers to the use of sleep anesthesia during dental procedures such as crowns & bridges, veneers & bonding, fillings, implants, root canals, and tooth extraction. Dental sedation is often used during procedures that require an extensive amount of time, as well as for patients who exhibit dental phobia or have difficulty controlling their movements.

There are four types of sedation that can be used during a dental visit:

• Oral sedative pills
• Nitrous oxide
• IV sedation
• General anesthesia

Indications for Sedation or Hospital Care include:

• Anesthetic Failure (Difficulty Getting Numb)
• High Anxiety/Low Pain Threshold
• Major Dental Treatment
• Strong Gag Reflex
• Local Anesthetic Allergy or Ineffectiveness
• Physical or Mental Handicap
• Dental Phobia
• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Cerebral Palsy

Dental Anxiety and Dental Phobia

It is estimated that approximately 30 to 40 million Americans avoid seeing the dentist because of dental anxiety or dental phobia. People with dental anxiety have fears that are often greatly exaggerated. Dental phobia is a more serious condition. People with this condition are terrified and panic-stricken when it comes time to see the dentist.
They often avoid the appointment altogether. If they do force themselves to go, they often do not sleep the night before or may become sick in the waiting room.

Am I a Candidate?

You may be a candidate for dental sedation if you exhibit any of the following characteristics:

• Dental phobia
• Dental anxiety
• Difficulty controlling movement from conditions such as cerebral palsy or Parkinson’s disease

Patients who are on other medications should consult with their dentist before taking sedatives. Previous allergic reactions to other drugs should also be reported to the sedation dentist.