828 NE A St, Grants Pass, OR 97526
How Can I Get Treatment Without Pain and Anxiety?
Not everyone has had positive experiences with their healthcare providers, but there are options that make receiving treatment more comfortable. Sedation options are an effective way to receive the dental care you need without the stress and anxiety that may come with visiting the dentist’s office. There’s no reason to feel pain or anxiety during dental treatment. And all it takes to get started with sedation dentistry is a simple conversation with your dentist.
Explore Your Sedation Options
Laughing Gas or Minimally Inhaled Sedation
This method of sedation is ideal if you are nervous about an upcoming dental procedure or appointment but want to avoid being deeply sedated. Your dentist in Grants Pass, OR, will pump a mixture of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and oxygen through a nose mask, and you’ll breathe through this mask whenever you’re directed to do so.
As you breathe in the gas, you’ll feel less nervous, and may experience a “floaty” or “dreamy” feeling. Although you may feel a little disconnected from what’s happening around you, you won’t fall asleep, and you will remain aware of what’s going on during your procedure.
A few of the best benefits of this sedation method is that side effects are minimal, and the effects of the sedation wear off within a few minutes of the nose mask being removed. You can drive yourself home and get back to your day-to-day routine immediately after your treatment.
Oral Conscious Sedation
Oral conscious sedation uses a strong pill or liquid sedative that you’ll take about 30-60 minutes before your appointment. Once the sedative takes effect, you’ll begin to feel groggy and tired. In some cases, you may end up falling asleep during your appointment.
With oral conscious sedation, anterograde amnesia is very common. This means you may forget much of your procedure.
IV Sedation
IV sedation delivers sedative medication directly into the bloodstream, creating a deeper state of relaxation. Patients typically enter a semi-conscious, sleep-like state and remain unaware of the dental procedure. For safety, someone must accompany the patient and drive them home after the appointment.