Nitrous Oxide
Downey, CA
 Many people experience high anxiety when thinking about their upcoming dental surgery. To help alleviate this anxiety, our offices offer our patients sleep dentistry. Sleep dentistry involves sedation, which can come in one of three forms. While it is considered sleep dentistry, not all sedation techniques involve putting you to actual sleep. While some can put you to sleep, some will simply help ease your mind while the surgery is underway. Our team at Downey Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is here to provide you with several options to help reduce anxiety and stress related to an upcoming dental procedure.
What Is Dental Sedation?
Dental sedation is designed to do one of two things. It will either calm you before and during your dental surgery or it will make you feel more comfortable during longer procedures. Laughing gas is the most popular dental sedation technique offered. Most people opt for this when getting a crown or root canal performed. However, there are other more varied and complex dental sedation techniques offered, depending on how high your stress and anxiety are when it comes to medical and dental procedures. It is important to realize that dental sedation is not the same as anesthetics. Dental sedation does not help with pain management and is only used to help make you feel sleepy or calm during the procedure. Certain sedation techniques may even remove your memory of having received the procedure, which is perfect for people who cannot handle a procedure without being sedated.
Laughing Gas
Laughing gas is made of nitrous oxide, which is used to help you feel relaxed during any dental procedure. You will be conscious while under laughing gas, but it will have a calming effect to it. Laughing gas is given to you through a nose apparatus, which allows you to breathe in the gas as the operation is underway. It takes minimal time for you to begin feeling the effects of nitrous oxide, which makes it an ideal sedative. The benefit of laughing gas is that you will stop feeling the effects within minutes of the treatment being ended. Most patients can drive themselves home under a laughing gas sedative.
Oral Sedation
Oral sedation is often referred to as conscious sedation. This type of sedation is administered before your surgery. We will write you a prescription for an oral sedative, where one pill is to be taken the night before your surgery and another an hour before the procedure. You may receive additional instructions depending on your tolerance to oral sedatives. During the procedure, you will be awake, but the purpose of the pill is to heavily relax your body. Most patients do not remember the procedure afterward, which is a bonus for anyone afraid of having a medical treatment performed. You will need a ride home from the office if you are prescribed an oral sedative.
IV Sedation
IV sedation comes in two forms. The first is known as Twilight IV sedation, which makes you feel sleepy and unaware of your surroundings. You will not be unconscious, and our staff will have to wake you up after the procedure is performed. General anesthesia is the second type of IV sedation, which is uncommon except in extremely invasive surgeries. You will be completely unconscious, and this will need to be administered by either a nurse anesthetist or an anesthesiologist. Depending on your reactions to surgeries and pain, you may be prescribed a sedative to help calm and relax you. Our team at Downey Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is here to help, so it’s important to let us know if you feel anxiety before surgery. This will allow us to make an informed decision on which sedation technique is ideal for you.
Give us a call today at 562-459-3311 to discuss your options. |
