Don’t let fear delay your dental care – talk to us about your options for sedation dentistry so you can get treatment without the tension.
Dental anxiety is incredibly common, and at Extreme Dentistry we sympathise deeply with everyone who dreads the dentist. Luckily, we have a range of options for dealing with dental anxiety, meaning that you no longer have to delay your dentist visits because of nerves or fear.
Is Sedation Dentistry Right For Me?
Does the very idea of the dentist chair put you in a cold sweat? Do you delay going to the dentist because you’re afraid? If this sound familiar, you may benefit from sedation dentistry. Sedation dentistry is perfect for nervous patients, with several different options available depending on your level of anxiety. Whether you want to be knocked out completely and blissfully unaware of your dental procedure, or you just need a little something to take the edge off your nerves, we can provide you with what you need to make your dental experience more bearable.
What Are My Options For Sedation Dentistry?
At Extreme Dentistry, we care deeply about the comfort of our patients. This is why we offer several different options for sedation during your dental procedure.
- Nitrous Oxide
Also known as Laughing Gas, nitrous oxide has been used in dentistry for many years, and is safe for use for both adults and children. Nitrous oxide induces feelings of calmness and relaxation, and is a good option for patients who just need to ‘take the edge off.’ Nitrous oxide won’t put you to sleep, but it will lull you into a placid and pleasant state, meaning that your anxiety should hopefully fade quietly into the background. Nitrous oxide is a fast-acting sedation method, and is also completely reversible. Known side-effects are few, and only affect a tiny minority of patients – should you suffer any detrimental effects such as nausea, dizziness, or a headache, you can expect these to dissipate quickly with no long-lasting effects.
- Oral Sedation
Oral sedation in dentistry involves taking anti-anxiety medication prior to your dental treatment. This medication will act as a sedative, meaning that you are calm and relaxed for your procedure. While the sedatives are not themselves painkillers, they will be used in conjunction with pain relief medication to ensure your comfort. Because these sedatives usually take some time to ‘kick in,’ we will administer our oral sedatives to you in our clinic one hour prior to your treatment. Important to note is that oral sedation can leave you feeling woozy following the conclusion of your procedure, so we very much recommend having a trusted friend or family member drive you home after your treatment.
- Penthrox
The active ingredient in Penthrox is methoxyflurane – a fast-acting pain reliever often used in emergency settings for immediate pain relief. Penthrox is administered through an inhaler in the presence of a doctor at our surgery. When inhaled, Penthrox acts as both a pain killer and a relaxant – you can expect to feel calm, placid, and largely pain-free (although no procedure can be guaranteed to be painless). You should start to feel relief after six to eight inhalations, with the effects lasting up to 30 minutes after inhalation. One of the benefits of Penthrox is that it is not an opioid-based painkiller, and thus doesn’t have the addictive properties of something like morphine. Important to note is that Penthrox is not recommended for people under the age of 18, so if you have a child who suffers from dental anxiety, we suggest talking to us about child-friendly options for sedation dentistry.
How Can We Help?
At Extreme Dentistry, we want each and every one of our patients to be relaxed and calm when they’re in the dentist chair. Because we understand just how distressing a dental phobia can be, we give our patients a range of different sedation options catering to varying levels of anxiety. Our sedation dentistry options all serve to minimise discomfort and pain, and we hope that by offering these different options for sedation dentistry, we enable people to set their fears aside and access the dental care they need. While all of our options for sedation have been proven over many years to be safe, we recommend talking to your dentist and/or primary healthcare provider before undergoing sedation.
For more information about sedation dentistry, have a look here.
To book an appointment or make an enquiry, please use our website, or call us on (08) 8948 1225.
