Dental anxiety is a common experience that can stem from many different experiences. Perhaps a negative experience in the past makes future treatments seem intimidating, or a history of tooth sensitivity causes undue worry.
At New Look Dental, we provide sedation dentistry services to ensure everyone is able to access and receive the best dental care available to them. Overcoming nerves or anxiety related to dental procedures, sedation provides a safe and effective means for anyone to enjoy a comfortable dental experience.
If you’ve experienced dental anxiety before, we encourage you to book an appointment and find out whether sedation dentistry is right for you.
Welcome to Dr. Harry Clyde, sedation dentistry expert and the newest member of our New Look Dental team! He has recently relocated back to the Okanagan from Grand Prairie, and we welcome him! Dr. Clyde is certified in IV sedation and will be on hand to provide recommendations and special care related to sedation and anaesthesia for patients at our clinic. He is particularly passionate about IV sedation and wisdom teeth extractions and we are excited to offer his expertise to our community.
What is Sedation Dentistry?
While dental anxiety has many underlying causes, fear of pain or discomfort during or after a dental procedure is most common. For many patients who experience a fear or anxiety related to a dental procedure, sedation is able to help them relax and feel at ease throughout their appointment. While sedated, patients can often experience a period of short-term amnesia, maintaining their consciousness but unable to recall the experience afterwards.
Sedation dentistry is an appropriate treatment for patients who would otherwise be uncomfortable or unwilling to visit their dentist. Both adults and children are able to receive sedation. Any sedation beyond the level of “minimal sedation” can only be administered by authorized clinicians such as New Look Dental.
Types of sedation
Depending on the reason for sedation, different levels of sedation may be provided. Generally, sedation dentistry takes one of the following forms:
- Oral sedation. Ranging from minimal to moderate, oral sedation involves taking a pill containing a anxiolytic, or anti-anxiety, drug. This will typically make the patient feel drowsy while remaining awake and relaxed.
- Inhaled sedation. Wearing a mask, the patient is administered nitrous oxide, also known as “laughing gas.” This type of sedation can be used for minimal to deep sedation and general anaesthesia. This form of sedation is fast acting, and will typically wear off quickly after treatment.
- IV sedation. The sedative is injected into the bloodstream through a vein. This is the most fast acting form of sedation, and allows the dentist to finely adjust the level of sedation throughout the treatment. Most often used for moderate to deep sedation and general anesthesia.
In conversation with our dentists, patients are assessed to determine which type of sedation is most appropriate for their treatment. Ensuring a safe and comfortable experience is our utmost priority, and so we take great care in providing the sedation that is right for each individual.
Why choose sedation
In choosing your dentist, it’s important that you feel confident your health and wellness are being prioritized at each appointment. Sedation dentistry is one tool that helps us to ensure all of our patients have positive outcomes, no matter their background or oral health history. Sedation is an appropriate treatment for any of the following conditions:
- Fear of dentistry or dental tools such as needles
- Hypersensitivity or discomfort
- General anxiety disorder
- Difficulty sitting still or controlling movements
- Difficulty controlling gag reflex
- Low pain threshold
- Special needs of any kind
Once you’ve decided to have an initial consultation, our dental team will work with you to make recommendations based on your input. Together, we’ll discuss your health history and medications to ensure the appropriate type and level of sedation is administered during your appointment. After we collect all the necessary information, we’ll provide a clear guide of what to expect and how to prepare, if needed, for your treatment.
Ready to discuss sedation dentistry? Book an appointment online or call us at 250-768-7671 to get started today!