Sedation Dentistry in San Antonio, TX
Did you know that you can sleep through your next root canal treatment or extraction? Yes—it’s possible to experience professional dental care even if you have extreme dental anxiety.
It’s a well-known fact that many people aren’t particularly enthusiastic about dental appointments. For some patients, the dislike for all things associated with dentists is so intense that it manifests in extreme fear of dental procedures. Whether you’re scared of getting dental cleanings or have a tooth that’s causing you unbearable pain that needs root canal treatment, sedation dentistry is the universal answer to the question of dental anxiety.
Here at Terrell Hills Dental, we offer various forms of sedation to patients who’d like to experience pain-free and anxiety-free dental visits. The main reason why we’re so passionate about ensuring that our patients know about and experience sedation dentistry in San Antonio, TX is because we want professional dental care to be accessible to all.
It doesn’t matter if you’re terrified or just a little scared, we will take care of you and make sure that you leave our offices looking forward to your next appointment.
What to Expect During Your Dental Visit
Terrell Hills Dental offers varying levels of sedation, depending on the needs of the patient. These include:
- Minimal sedation: When you’re minimally sedated, you’ll be awake but in a relaxed state.
- Moderate IV sedation: A moderately sedated patient may not have much recollection of the dental procedure, is in an out of sleep. But it is very safe because you are breathing on your own.
- Deep sedation: When you’re deeply sedated, you’re somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness. However, you can still be awakened.
- General anesthesia: A person who has received general anesthesia is unconscious and asleep throughout the procedure.
You may be sedated orally or intravenously. Our dentist will adjust the dose of anesthesia given to achieve the levels of sedation discussed above.
What to Remember If You’re Considering Sedation Dentistry
If you’d like to get sedated during your next dental procedure at Terrell Hills Dental, keep the following in mind:
- Sedation and anesthesia don’t refer to the same thing. Sedatives cause relaxation, while anesthesia is used to manage pain. As such, our dentist may combine sedatives and anesthesia, depending on the dental procedure at hand. Always ask for clarification if you feel that something is confusing. Our dentist is very friendly and always happy to answer all patient questions.
- Always disclose relevant information to the dentist during your appointment. Let our dentist know if you’re on any long-term medication or if you have chronic diseases such as heart ailments or diabetes. This information helps the dentist to determine the type and level of sedation that’s most appropriate for you.
Remember that children can get sedated during dental procedures. If your little one kicks up a storm when it’s time for their dental appointment, it’s likely that they’re scared and need a little help relaxing during their dental procedure.
Give Terrell Hills Dental a call today to learn more about sedation dentistry in San Antonio, TX.
Sedation Dentistry FAQs
We have some frequently asked questions about sedation dentistry.
Talk to your dentist in Terrell Hills about your needs to see if sedation dentistry is right for you. It is used for patients with pain issues and anxiety when going to the dentist.
Though there is an incredibly rare risk of allergies, sedation dentistry is considered safe for all patients.
Some patients given sedatives may experience grogginess, brain fog, and other symptoms up to a couple of hours after their procedures are complete due to the sedative medication, but there are no long-term effects.
The most common anesthesia used in the sedation dentistry procedure is nitrous oxide or laughing gas, which relaxes patients and produces a mild euphoric effect.
The drug most commonly used for IV sedation dentistry is known as Propofol. This rug is designed to keep patients relaxed or, in some cases, to put them to sleep while undergoing treatment.