What is Anxiety-Free/Sedation Dentistry?

Here at Amy H. See, DDS, our patient’s comfort is our priority. That’s why we understand that many people experience fear and anxiety when visiting the dentist’s office.

It’s important to us that we are able to make all of our patients feel comfortable and stress-free. In our dental office in Rolesville, we are able to provide anxiety-free, sedation dentistry techniques to minimize any fear and anxiety you might feel about being at the dentist.

Our goal in using anxiety-free, sedation dentistry is to eliminate your fears associated with going to the dentist.

If you have any fears or anxiety about receiving dental care, please feel free to contact our office today and we’ll be happy to talk to you about the options available so that you feel comfortable and relaxed.

Anxiety-Free/Sedation Dentistry Is Great For People Who Have:

• Fear of going to the dentist

• High anxiety or a dental phobia

• Sensitivity to pain and have a low pain threshold

• Wisdom teeth extractions

• Long dental procedures (and usually require multiple visits)

• Deep dental cleanings

• Dental implants

• Cannot sit still in a dentist’s chair

• Sensitivity to gagging

Types of Sedation Dentistry We Provide:

Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas)

Nitrous Oxide (also known as “laughing gas”) is most commonly used by dentists to help their patients feel relaxed and comfortable during their dental visit. It is a safe and effective method for sedation and is also safe enough to use in children as well. The nitrous oxide gas is combined with oxygen that You breathe in the nitrous oxide gas, which is combined with oxygen through a mask that is placed over your nose.

Many of our patients use this option "to take the edge off." The best part is, the effects of the gas wear off very quickly. So after using nitrous oxide, our patients are able to drive themselves home after their procedure and quickly return to their regular daily activities. This makes it very convenient because our patients do not need to make other arrangements to be picked up after their dental visit.

Oral Sedation

Oral sedatives such as Triazolam are slightly more potent than using nitrous oxide. This makes them optimal for longer procedures. However, this also means that patients will not be able to drive themselves after their appointment. With this type of sedation, patients will most likely not remember their procedure.

IV Sedation (Twilight Sleep)

IV Sedation is most commonly used for surgical procedures like extractions, implants, or long restorative appointments. With this type of sedation, patients will not remember the procedure and have a great experience. It is also one of the safest sedation options for patients that want to be asleep during their procedure due to the fact that the patient retains his/her reflexes and is breathing on their own. Patients will need to arrange rides for their appointments.

General Anesthesia

This is the deepest form of sedation. In the dental setting, this type of sedation is reserved for larger surgical appointments and treatments that may last a whole day. This requires the presence of an anesthesiologist. Patients will not remember their procedure and will be required to have a member of their family or friend to drive them to and from their appointment