Pain and Anxiety Management

What is sedation dentistry?

Sedation dentistry uses medication to help you relax while undergoing oral health treatment. Some people refer to sedation dentistry as “sleep dentistry,” but this isn’t entirely accurate. Unless you receive IV sedation or general anesthesia, you’re conscious and aware of your surroundings throughout the entire procedure.

Who can benefit from sedation dentistry?

Dr. Mandy typically recommends sedation dentistry to people who are fearful of undergoing dental treatment. She also uses sedation to treat patients who have any of the following:

  • Severe dental anxiety
  • Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease
  • Severe gag reflex
  • Young children or special need patients who are not cooperative
  • Patients with complex medical history who need to be closely monitored to avoid anxiety and increased blood pressure

What are the types of sedation dentistry?

At CityZEN Dental, Dr. Mandy offers different modalities of sedation including:

Inhalation sedation (nitrous oxide)
Inhaled sedation uses nitrous oxide, or “laughing gas.” You breathe in nitrous oxide through a mask placed over your nose. Nitrous oxide works almost instantly. It makes you feel happy, relaxed, and at ease. Nitrous oxide wears off quickly, so you can drive home following treatment.

Oral sedation
Dr. Mandy might recommend oral sedation for you to manage your level of anxiety. Examples of such drugs are Valium or Halcion. She often likes to use a combination therapy of oral sedation and inhalation sedation to take you to that perfect comfortable place.

IV sedation
IV sedation administers prescription medication through a needle into a vein. The drug bypasses your digestive system entirely, allowing for almost instant effect. Dr. Mandy can adjust the level of medication throughout the treatment. IV sedation takes hours to wear off, so you’ll need someone to drive you home.

General anesthesia
General anesthesia is very similar to IV sedation. The only difference is that general anesthesia puts you to a much deeper level of anesthesia. Following treatment, you wake up and have no memory of the procedure.

Contemplative Modalities

With having trained therapists on staff we manage stress and anxiety using modalities such as Reiki, aromatherapy, digitation, and breathing exercises. At our yoga clinic, you will be introduced to restorative poses to enhance the wellbeing of your head and neck. For patients with higher levels of anxiety who have had previous traumatic experiences, Dr. Mandy will use therapeutics to sedate them into a comfortable sleep while receiving dental care.

Restorative Yoga poses
To alleviate the pain and discomfort from tense neck muscles and over clenching/grinding/bruising

Aromatherapy

Reiki
Your own energy should help you heal , so our therapists will help your body to flow the energy all over especially to the blocked and distressed areas; by doing so your body and mind is on board and supportive of the dental treatment you receive. You can help your own healing and recovery when receiving Reiki before, during and after specific procedures

What type of sedation dentistry or pain management will benefit me?

Dr. Mandy customizes sedation dentistry treatment to each patient she sees, instead of taking a “one-size-fits-all” approach. After considering your level of anxiety, overall health, and the type of procedure required, she makes a recommendation.

To learn more about sedation dentistry, schedule an appointment at CityZEN Dental. Book a consultation online, or call the office today.