Take the Stress Out of Dental Care
Even though we hate to admit this, we understand that some people are nervous when it comes to visiting the dentist. This nervousness can stem from many causes but, for the most part, it seems people are worried about a painful experience occurring. Here at Bitterroot Dental, we want to make sure that our Missoula patients are as comfortable as possible when they visit our office. In order to help those patients who are more nervous than others, we offer sedation dentistry services that are designed to make the dental experience more comfortable. In today’s post, we are going to go over the types of sedation dentistry we offer and a little information about each. Keep reading below to learn more.
Oral Conscious Sedation
When most people think of sedation dentistry, they imagine a situation where they are fully knocked out and unaware of what is going on during their visit. At Bitterroot Dental, we take a different approach to sedation and offer oral conscious sedation. With this form of sedation, patients are not put completely under but instead remain awake during the procedure while in a heightened state of relaxation. This form of sedation is very safe, is much less expensive than other forms of full sedation dentistry, and the patient is able to talk and breathe on their own during the entirety of the procedure. An added bonus to this form of sedation is that it often makes the length of the procedure seem shorter from the viewpoint of the patient. It should be noted that this form of sedation dentistry requires that the patient have a third party available to drive them to and from the appointment.
Anxiolysis
This form of sedation dentistry makes use of a light sedative, such as Triazolam, and does not deliver as strong of a sedative experience as oral conscious sedation. This form of sedation dentistry is recommended for those patients who suffer from mild to moderate anxiety when visiting the dentist and helps to take the edge off. Anxiolysis is most effective if a single pill is taken the night before the procedure with an additional pill taken about an hour before the dental appointment. Like oral conscious sedation, patients will need to make sure that they have transportation to and from the dentist office because the drugs can cause drowsiness even after the procedure is completed.
Nitrous Oxide
Perhaps the most well-known form of sedation dentistry, nitrous oxide can be administered to help patients with any anxiety that they may be feeling. Nitrous oxide does not require any preparation by the patient and is administered right before the procedure is about to be conducted. Nitrous oxide is delivered through a small mask that covers the patient’s nose and is one of the safest and most effective forms of sedation dentistry.
If you would like to learn more about our sedation dentistry services or any of the other services that we offer to Missoula residents, please visit our website today. We are a full-service dentist office that can handle any and all oral health needs you may have.
