Up to 80% of American women and men have some degree of dental anxiety. Children suffer from it, too. Dental anxiety may lead you to skip much-needed dental checkups and procedures.
Our team at Full Circle Dental Care understands how dental anxiety may hinder you from getting dental exams and cleanings, as well as other important dental services. If you dread going to the dentist, our founder — expert dentist Samuel Sigmon, DDS — recommends sedation dentistry. Sedation dentistry is a safe, effective way to relax during procedures.
Dental anxiety affects both patient and practitioner. When you’re anxious, you may delay your needed check-ups and procedures. This may allow a minor condition to develop into a major one. Also, when you’re anxious, you may move or startle in the chair, which makes it difficult for your dentist to help you.
Sedation dentistry keeps you emotionally calm and physically relaxed, whether you need a simple dental cleaning or an extensive dental procedure, such as a root canal. Sedation dentistry also helps you stay safe during a dental procedure, so we can complete any necessary dental work without interference.
Depending on the type of sedation you choose, you remain comfortable but awake during dental work. You can respond to questions or requests from our dental team and remain aware of your surroundings. But you don’t feel any stress and have no need to fear pain.
At Full Circle Dental Care, we offer a full range of options to keep you pain-free and calm. Choose from:
Also called laughing gas, nitrous oxide is a mild, inhaled form of sedation. When you breathe in nitrous oxide through a mask, you become more relaxed. After your dental treatment, we give you pure oxygen to inhale to clear out any remaining laughing gas.
Nitrous oxide may even make you feel euphoric during your procedure. Another advantage of nitrous oxide is that immediately following your dental visit, you feel like yourself again and can return to your usual activities without any lingering side effects.
Oral medications help you relax even more deeply than nitrous oxide. Depending on your needs, Dr. Sigmon may recommend oral sedation medications that include benzodiazepines. These medications, like Ativan® and Xanax®, effectively alleviate dental anxiety
We may ask you to take the medications shortly before you arrive for your dental visit. They’re fast-acting and typically wear off within a couple of hours, or shortly after the dental procedure. You do need to arrange for someone else to drive you to and from the dentist’s office, however, so you don’t drive home drowsy.
At Full Circle Dental Care, we have a board-certified anesthesiologist to put you to sleep for your entire procedure. We may recommend IV sedation for more extensive procedures, such as wisdom tooth extraction.
Sedation for dental procedures is safe and effective when administered by our highly trained and qualified dental team members. When you follow the recommended preparation and aftercare, you can have a relaxing, anxiety-free experience.
To find out if sedation dentistry is right for you, contact our knowledgeable staff at Full Circle Dental Care by phone, or schedule a consultation through our online booking system. We help you maintain a beautiful and healthy smile, comfortably and calmly.
