Our team works hard to give patients a wonderful experience with us. The patient-dentist relationship is important to us. To strengthen our relationships with more patients and even encourage more Tacoma residents to visit us, we offer sedation dentistry.
For the last 10 years, Petrie Advanced Dental has combined compassionate professionalism with comprehensive care to meet all of the dental needs of our wonderful patients.
What Is Sedation Dentistry?
Millions of Americans suffer from a condition commonly referred to as “dental anxiety.” This can be:
- An increased amount of stress when anticipating a visit to the dentist’s office.
- A greater amount of nervousness than usual concerning a procedure.
- Simply being unable to feel comfortable or relaxed when it comes to the dentist.
Sedation dentistry consists of techniques that address all of these situations.
We appreciate that any medical procedure can be stressful, perhaps even dental care. Anxiety can be disruptive and it is our goal that every procedure is as comfortable as it is comprehensive.
To accommodate all of our patients, we offer a variety of sedation dentistry options.
Which Sedation Dentistry Technique Will Work for Me?
The purpose of sedation dentistry is to create a comfortable experience while addressing your dental health.
There are a large number of procedures where localized anesthesia (such as numbing agents for your gums) is sufficient. But if you are looking to address any dental anxiety or minimize dental discomfort, three sedation dentistry techniques are available.
Laughing Gas
Perhaps the most recognizable sedation dentistry technique, laughing gas is an excellent means to deal with mild to moderate dental anxiety. Delivered into your system through a breathing apparatus, laughing gas takes effect quickly, allowing both mind and body to relax while the dental procedure takes place.
Oral Conscious Sedation
This method of sedation dentistry is ideal for anyone who might experience elevated levels of stress or anxiety about a dental procedure. It is also a fantastic method for anyone who is considering extensive, restorative dental treatment such as dental implant surgery.
The method of oral conscious sedation is quite simple: you will be prescribed a pill with instructions on when to take it. Usually, you will be instructed to take the pill an hour before your procedure; in some cases, we may have you take a pill the night before as well as an hour before the procedure.
You will need to arrange a ride to and from our practice when under the effects of oral sedation because the effects can be strong enough to impair driving.
How Do I Know if Sedation Dentistry Is Right for Me?
If you suffer from dental anxiety, sedation dentistry can make your dental procedures a much more comfortable and manageable experience. However, if you aren’t sure whether sedation dentistry would be better for you than the recommended anesthesia, we encourage you to bring up such concerns during your consultation.
Depending on the dental treatment you are looking to have done, our dental team may bring up sedation dentistry as part of the consultation routine. Sedation dentistry is likely to be discussed or offered if you are planning on thorough restorative treatments that may include surgery or tooth removal.
However, the goal of each consultation is to make sure that you are comfortable with your individualized treatment plan. So you should feel free to bring up sedation dentistry if it interests you. Below are some things to consider with regards to a sedation dentistry consultation:
- Which type of sedation dentistry technique are you interested in?
- Do you suffer from dental anxiety or is this particular procedure causing any undue stress?
- What has your experience with localized anesthetics been?
- Do you feel an increased sense of nervousness on the day of your treatment?
- Are you able to arrange transport to and from your procedure?
Call Us Today To Learn More About Sedation Dentistry
With 10 years of dedicated service provided to the Tacoma community, Petrie Advanced Dental knows that an informed patient is a happy one. We welcome all questions about sedation dentistry. Call us today to learn more about your options and how sedation dentistry can help you overcome your dental anxiety.
