If you have had a history of traumatic experiences during dental care, it can make things difficult. For many people, it makes is so they are resistant to getting numb with ordinary local anesthetics.
For Dr. Thein, it is very important that you be comfortable. If you need some help in the form of sedation dentistry, he won’t charge you any extra for it. He doesn’t want cost to be an obstacle to your being comfortable in his care.
If you are anxious about your dental appointment but don’t feel that you need to be sedated, you may be interested in reading about Dr. Thein’s other gentle dentistry options.
How Sedation Dentistry Works
When you set up your appointment, Dr. Thein will give you a prescription for Triazolam. There will be two pills. One will be for taking the night before, so that you get a good night’s sleep and don’t come to your appointment too stressed.
You take the second pill before your actual appointment. You will need to arrange to have someone take you to the dental office and then take you home afterward, as it won’t be safe for you to drive.
While you will still be conscious during your appointment, you will be so sleepy and relaxed that you probably won’t even remember what happened during the appointment.
Sedation Dentistry Appointment
This oral conscious sedation is extremely safe. For an extra margin of safety, Dr. Thein will monitor your vital functions with a pulse oximeter. However, a characteristic of this technique is that it has little to no effect on vital functions. General anesthesia needs to be given in a hospital setting because it makes you unconscious, which depresses your breathing and other vital functions. With conscious sedation, however, your vital functions are minimally affected. Protective reflexes, such as coughing to clear your airway, are still present and fully functional. And even though you probably won’t remember details of your appointment, during the appointment you are aware of your surroundings.
Some degree of cooperation is necessary for the patient. Since you are conscious and not under unconscious general anesthesia, you may be able to fight off the effects if you try. But if you let yourself go, it will be very effective for you.
IV Sedation Dentistry
If the oral sedation isn’t strong enough, we can go one step further and provide IV sedation. There is an additional fee for this, because it involves using a board certified anesthesiologist.
Who Is a Candidate for Sedation Dentistry?
You are a candidate if you have…
- High fear of dental procedures.
- Very sensitive teeth.
- Difficulty getting numb. For some people, Novocain alone doesn’t work. They can get many injections and still not be numb. Sedation strengthens the Novocain, and the result is that the entire appointment is comfortable and stress-free.
- A history of traumatic dental experiences. Painful memories of dental treatment can be very difficult to deal with. Sedation helps overcome those painful memories.
- If you have a bad gag reflex, this could be the answer for you.
- If you have complex dental problems requiring extensive work, this will help your treatment go more quickly. What would otherwise take multiple appointments can be accomplished in only one stress-free appointment.
- A fear of shots or needles.
- Embarrassment over the condition of your teeth.