At Northeast Dental Center, we make our best efforts to help you overcome the anxiety of getting a dental procedure done. With an aim to provide you maximum comfort and a positive environment, we decorate the waiting area, the clinic and our office. We also play soothing music and make proper use of anesthesia. In addition, we offer sedation therapy for patients who need additional help in overcoming fear.
Many people are under the perception that sedation is a means to relieve pain, but this is the function of anesthesia.
Sedation is basically administered to help a patient relax and overcome any treatment-related anxiety. Sedation is used for those patients who have a phobia of dental treatments and equipment. Under the effect of sedatives, the sight of your dentist wearing a mask, the large dental needles, the bright overhead lights and the sound of the dental drills will not bother you.
Most sedatives administered during dental procedures keep you awake since your input and instructions are required during surgery. So even though you will be fully conscious and able to answer any questions your dentist may ask during the procedure, you will feel relaxed and comfortable under the effect of sedation. The advantage of conscious sedation is that a patient is able to give inputs or signals to the dentist (such as raising a hand) in case of discomfort during surgery, and they can also spit or turn to one side as needed.
Sedation can be administered in several ways. In some cases, patients are given a pill, with dosage adjusted according to the duration of the dental procedure. Patients are advised to avoid driving or commuting alone until the effect of the sedative wears off completely.
For people who come for the procedure by themselves and need to drive back home on their own post-treatment, laughing gas can be given. This is an option that provides relaxation to the patient with minimum sedation. You are awake during the procedure, and the amount of gas given can be easily controlled. The effect wears off quickly, and you are okay to drive home on your own after the procedure.
In case of moderate sedation, the sedative is administered intravenously so you feel the effects more rapidly and your dentist can continually adjust the sedation levels.
To know more about sedation dentistry options available for you, call Northeast Dental Center at (215) 552-9800. We will help you overcome the anxiety associated with dental procedures and make sure that your fear does not get in the way of your treatment.
