Sedation allows dentists to create a state of relaxation and thus manage the anxiety, fear and discomfort patients may experience during dental procedures. There are different types of sedation in dentistry, and we are pleased to offer both oral conscious sedation and nitrous oxide.

Sedation Dentistry offers pain-free and anxiety-free dental procedures as the patient is in a deeply relaxed state, though fully responsive. We often hear from patients who express their gratitude and delight in their first ever visit to the dentist without fear.

• Local anesthesia is administered by injecting anesthetic medication into tissue or by applying a medication topically to an area to eliminate sensation. This makes teeth numb and is commonly known as "novocaine".
  
• Minimal sedation is used most frequently in general dentistry and usually involves taking medications orally before appointments, inhaling nitrous oxide gas during appointments, or a combination of both. All bodily functions remain normal and you are able to breathe on your own. You are able to respond normally to verbal commands and may experience some degree of amnesia about what happened during the dental appointment. The sedation causes you to become sleepy and feel relaxed. The dentist will give you specific instructions for both techniques. If you take oral sedative medications you are asked to avoid driving. Nitrous oxide or “laughing gas” may be used to achieve minimal sedation by inhaling the medication through a mask during the procedure.
  
• Is it safe? Sedation is safe although you should talk to your dentist and gain a thorough understanding of how it works and what is expected of you before the procedure. Your medical history will be examined comprehensively to ensure safe sedation and your vital signs will be monitored throughout the entire procedure.

All of the amazing advances in dentistry can’t do a thing for you if you don’t go to the dentist. We realize that there are a lot of legitimate reasons why many people stay away from the dentist. It’s been estimated that almost half of the population has some kind of dental fear, from people who feel a little uncomfortable, to those who are so terrified they can’t set foot in a dental office. Whether it’s fear or something else that’s keeping you away, today’s dentistry gives us many options for making you comfortable throughout your appointment. Sedation dentistry uses medications to relax patients, which makes for a totally comfortable dental experience.

Many of our patients have found their experience with sedation dentistry to be positively life changing and incredibly effective. Sedation dentistry allows a patient to be calm and drowsy while still remaining in control. Often our patients equate sedation dentistry to relaxing on a beach. For many, this is the answer thay have been looking for all their life.