What is Sedation Dentistry?

Are you a candidate for Sedation Dentistry?

Do you....

• Have excessive fears about dental appointments
• Have difficulty getting numb
• Hate needles and shots
• Hate the noises and smells associated with the dental office
• Have a strong gag reflex
• Have highly sensitive teeth
• Have complex dental problems that will otherwise take several appointments to complete
• Wish to have a comprehensive smile redesign

Safe, effective sedation dentistry for complete relaxation during dental procedures may be the solution. Listed below are the most common sedation techniques. Contact our office for a complimentary sedation consultation and Dr. Dhaliwal will be happy to discuss which option is best for you.

Oral Sedation

Oral sedation involves taking a small sedative pill before the dentist performs any treatment. You will arrive one hour prior to your dental appointment and take a pill. You are made comfortable and placed on a monitor to watch your vital signs. When you reach the proper level of relaxation, your awareness of pain, sounds and smells diminishes and your dental treatment will begin. When treatment is completed, your driver takes you home to continue sleeping. In most cases, you will remember very little about the visit.

Nitrous Oxide Sedation (Laughing Gas)

Better known as “laughing gas”, nitrous oxide is also a safe means of reducing anxiety. In order to administer Nitrous, a small inhaler is placed over the nose, through which it is administered prior to treatment. You will typically experience an overall feeling of well-being, tingling and possible numbness with no lasting side effects after treatment. When compared to IV or Oral sedation, this produces a minimal amount of relaxation and is not always predictable from one person to another.

IV Sedation

Although many dentists may offer oral and/or nitrous sedation, a relatively small percentage are trained and certified to administer IV Sedation. Dr. Dhaliwal is one of the very few in the Bay Area that has undergone extensive training to provide this service to his patients.

Many use the term "sleep dentistry" when talking about IV sedation. This suggests that you are completely asleep during treatment. In reality, you are awake and conscious during IV sedation. You will also be able to understand and follow requests from Dr. Dhaliwal. However, time will appear to pass very quickly and you will have little to no memory about what went on during the treatment. That is why it may feel as though you were "asleep".

Before treatment, you will receive the sedative through an IV which will work rapidly to create your deeply relaxed state. Throughout the procedure, your vital signs will be monitored. You will be able to breathe on your own. Again, after the procedure, you will have little to no memory of the time you were receiving the sedative. It's that easy!

About Dr. Dhaliwal