A large segment of the population does not seek proper dental care because of fear. Today there are several options that make dentistry much more comfortable. For years nitrous oxide has been available, which is an analgesic gas that raises the pain threshold and alleviates anxiety. This is a good solution for many patients and the gas is out of the system within just a few minutes of breathing oxygen afterwards, so a designated driver is not necessary after treatment.

Some individuals are reluctant to even just have their teeth cleaned because of fear. For these individuals we have oral medication that can be taken 45 minutes to an hour before their appointment that will alleviate their anxiety. The medication is strong enough to really do an effective job so these patients will need a designated driver after treatment.

If we are going to be doing significant dentistry on an individual who is not comfortable sitting for an extended amount of time or has an extreme fear, IV sedation is available. This is a safe method of sedating the patient so that they will not have an unpleasant memory of the treatment. They will not be unconscious, as with general anesthesia, so there are not extreme dangers associated with this sedation. Patients can still respond and inform us if something is bothering them so that we can respond accordingly.