Do you experience overstimulation, anxiety, or nervousness whenever you visit the dentist? Instead of making yourself endure hours of an overwhelming experience, we want you to be able to relax and enjoy your time with us. Our kind and understanding team offers three types of sedation to make your treatment more comfortable, including nitrous oxide, oral conscious, and IV sedation dentistry in our Fort Worth, TX dental office. To learn more, read below or call our dental office!
Why Choose Hulen Crossing Family Dental for Sedation Dentistry?
Fast-Acting Laughing Gas
Compassionate Dental Team
Passionate & Skilled Dentists
Oral Conscious Sedation
Whether taken as a pill or liquid, this medication can produce a mild level of sedation to soothe the jitters and reduce anxiety. If necessary, one dose can be taken the night before the dental visit, and another can be taken one hour before the procedure. You’ll feel completely relaxed throughout your visit and aren’t likely to remember anything about it afterwards, but you’ll need a friend or family member to drive you home.
What Is Oral Conscious Sedation?
Oral conscious sedation is more powerful than nitrous oxide sedation, but gentler than IV sedation. Once we’ve met with you and determined that oral conscious sedation is a good choice for you, we’ll prescribe a specific dose of medication to take before your appointment. In most cases, you’ll be asked to take it before you arrive at our office. Since it usually only takes about 15 minutes to kick into effect, you’ll likely already feel drowsy and relaxed by the time you reach us.
How Does Oral Conscious Sedation Work?
If we prescribe oral conscious sedation for you, we’ll require that someone drive you to and from your appointment. While you’re in the examination chair, you should feel calm and groggy. You’ll remain conscious throughout your entire treatment, at least enough to answer simple questions and respond to basic instructions. However, you’ll be completely oblivious to all the sensations that would typically cause you anxiety or discomfort. Our team will carefully monitor you the entire time to ensure you are as safe and comfortable as possible. In many cases, oral conscious sedation helps us complete treatments faster!
Afterward, you’ll still feel very relaxed. Plus, thanks to the amnesiac effects of the medication, you’ll likely only have a few hazy memories of the experience. It will take time for the feeling of sedation to wear off, but you should begin to feel back to normal later that evening, or the next morning at the latest.
Are You a Good Candidate for Oral Conscious Sedation?
If you’re wondering if oral conscious sedation is right for you, don’t hesitate to ask about it! We’ll be happy to walk you through all the ins and outs of this helpful treatment, and we can determine if it’s a good choice for you. In most cases, oral conscious sedation can be helpful for patients who:
Have moderate anxiety or fear about visiting the dentist
Tend to cancel upcoming appointments out of fear
Have very sensitive teeth or an overactive gag reflex
Don’t respond to local anesthetic very well
Will be undergoing a complex treatment
Will be having several treatments completed in one appointment
However, oral conscious sedation is not for everyone. We’ll need to review your medical history, current health, and a list of any medications you’re taking to ensure that it’s the right choice for you.
Nitrous Oxide Sedation
Many patients these days are a little hesitant and fearful about dental work of any kind. Fortunately, there is a way to get the treatment you need with none of the nerves or stress: nitrous oxide sedation! Often referred to as laughing gas, this sedative is applied through a soft nasal mask and can be used to ensure a calm, anxiety-free appointment. Even better, this option is safe for most patients!
Who Is a Good Candidate for Nitrous Oxide?
Nitrous oxide sedation has several applications, and is most often used to assist patients who:
Suffer from mild to moderate dental-related anxiety
Don’t like the sights, smells, or sounds of the dental office
Have a strong gag reflex or dental sensitivity
Don’t respond well to typical anesthetics
Are afraid of needles (such as anesthetic injections)
Have trouble remaining seated for longer periods of time
If you have concerns about an upcoming dental appointment, please let us know! With so many uses, nitrous oxide can easily alleviate many issues that patients commonly experience at the dentist’s office. It’s worth noting that patients who are pregnant, suffer from sinus congestion or respiratory disease, or are taking certain medications might not be suitable candidates for nitrous oxide.
How Does Nitrous Oxide Work?
We’re happy to explain the details of receiving nitrous oxide sedation with you before you commit to the treatment. At the beginning of the appointment, a small mask will be placed on your nose that’s used to administer the gas. The gas itself is colorless and odorless, and within a few minutes, you’ll begin to feel its calming effects—and though it’s called laughing gas, you won’t begin cackling maniacally! The gas is combined with oxygen and the ratio can be adjusted as needed to ensure that you’re able to fully relax during the appointment. Once you’re calm and comfortable, we can begin your treatment as planned.
Aftercare for Nitrous Oxide
One of the best parts about receiving nitrous oxide sedation is that there’s very minimal aftercare required! When the appointment is over and we remove your mask, you’ll begin feeling normal within a few minutes without any lingering effects. This means that you’ll be able to immediately resume your day as planned, and you’ll even be able to drive yourself home. However, it’s worth noting that while nitrous oxide sedation fades away quickly, if you’ve received an anesthetic for any reason, those effects may last for a few hours after the appointment.
IV Sedation
Extreme anxiety can be quelled and a deeper level of sedation can be achieved with the use of IV sedation. When this medication is delivered directly into the bloodstream, you will remain conscious and awake, although you will barely notice the dental work that is being performed during your visit. Though this sedative is more powerful than nitrous oxide, it’s still a safe, comfortable, and effective method for remaining relaxed throughout a procedure. Here’s what you should know about IV sedation in Fort Worth.
What Is IV Sedation?
This form of sedation dentistry is given intravenously, meaning it’s administered via the bloodstream. By doing so, the effects of the sedative can begin to work much more quickly than other methods of sedation, as most patients end up becoming extremely relaxed within a matter of moments. Unlike nitrous oxide, where the patient is wide awake during their treatment, IV sedation places the person in a state of deeper relaxation.
Many people claim they feel as though they fell asleep during their appointment, even though they’re technically still conscious. The effects can last many hours after the procedure is over, so you’ll have to arrange for someone to drive you to and from your dental visit if you’re going to undergo IV sedation.
Who Is a Good Candidate for IV Sedation?
In many cases, IV sedation is used for those who are preparing to undergo extensive treatments or require oral surgery. This form of dentistry is effective at helping patients reduce their dental-related anxieties or fears about visiting their dentist. Additionally, people who have neuromuscular problems, TMJ disorders, or an overactive gag reflex that can make keeping their mouth open challenging tend to benefit greatly from IV sedation.
Our team will take a look at your situation and evaluate your level of anxiety (plus your medical/dental history and any medications that you’re taking) to see if this form of dentistry will be a good option for you. We’ll also walk you through the process and discuss the price of your additional treatment so you know what to expect.
The Benefits of IV Sedation
With IV sedation, you can be sure to appreciate a wide range of advantages to your dental experience, including:
Effects kick in quickly due to the sedative being administered into the bloodstream.
Provides a deeper state of calmness to significantly reduce anxiety.
Offers an effective method for patients with dental phobia to undergo essential oral healthcare.
A qualified dental team will monitor the flow of the sedative to ensure you’re safe and relaxed throughout your appointment.
Reasons to Consider
Sedation Dentistry
If any of the following scenarios apply to you, then you might want to consider sedation dentistry:
Extreme dental fear or anxiety
Previously traumatic dental experiences
Difficulty or inability to get numb
A sensitive gag reflex
Complex or extensive dental problems
Restlessness during lengthy dental appointments
Phobia related to needles or shots
Negative response to dental office noises, smells, or tastes
TMJ-problems or discomfort when keeping the mouth open for extended periods of time
Sedation Dentistry FAQs
Sedation dentistry in Fort Worth is an excellent way to help you feel at-ease while you’re getting the treatment you need to keep your oral health on the right track. However, the unexpected can sometimes be even more anxiety-inducing. To help you feel more comfortable coming into your appointment, our team has answered some of the most common questions we receive from our patients below. If you still don’t have the information you’re looking for, please call our office.
Can I receive dental sedation while pregnant?
Oftentimes, we don’t recommend dental sedation for those within their first trimester of pregnancy because the medication could pass onto the fetus through the placenta. If received in the third trimester, the medication can induce premature labor. This means that the safest and best time to receive sedation dentistry while you’re pregnant is during the second trimester.
Before you receive any type of medication, our team will go over your medical and health history with you as well as any risks that may occur. We want you to remain comfortable and safe and will make sure that you’re a good candidate for sedation before moving forward with administering any type of medication.
Will I remember anything if I get dental sedation?
Whether or not you’ll remember any part of your treatment will depend on what type of sedation you receive. In many cases, although you’ll technically remain conscious during your procedure, you likely won’t remember much. However, you’ll be able to respond to our questions.
Are there any risks to sedation dentistry?
Before your treatment, our team will screen you to make sure that sedation is safe for you. While it’s generally okay for most patients to receive, those with obstructive sleep apnea, who are taking certain medications, or who have underlying health conditions may not be good candidates for dental sedation. When administered and evaluated beforehand by a trained professional like our team at Hulen Crossing Family Dental, the risks are minimal.
Will my insurance cover dental sedation?
Whether your insurance will cover the cost of sedation will depend on your individual coverage and whether your insurance company classifies the service as “medically necessary.” Our team will do everything we can to help minimize your out-of-pocket cost and advocate for you, and by staying in-network with us, you’ll be able to get the most out of your benefits.
How long does sedation last?
This will largely depend on the type of sedation you receive. Nitrous oxide effects quickly dissipate, allowing you to carry on with your day as you normally would. However, IV and oral conscious sedation effects can last for the remainder of the day, meaning you’ll need to clear your schedule to fully recover from your procedure.
