Overcome Dental Anxiety with Safe and Effective Oral Sedation

Everyone deserves quality dental care to maintain their oral health. However, some people realize visiting a dental office isn’t easy, perhaps because of past negative dental experiences, fear of needles, or simply fear of the unknown. Part of Stein Family Dentistry’s commitment is to ensure that everyone feels comfortable in our dental office.

Dr. Andy Stein offers oral sedation dentistry to help dental-phobic patients enjoy relaxed dental visits. Imagine sitting back in the chair, feeling completely at ease, and before you know it, your treatment is over. Sedation dentistry in Spokane, Washington, takes the fear out of dental care, making it possible for even the most anxious patients to enjoy dental care.

Why do I have dental fear?

Feeling nervous about a dental appointment is normal. However, for some patients, the anxiety is so intense that it keeps them up at night or causes physical symptoms like a racing heart and sweaty palms at the mere thought of going to the dentist. Some people are so scared that they avoid dental treatments altogether until they experience serious dental problems.

No one is born with a fear of the dentist. There are several factors that can cause this fear, including:

  • Past traumatic dental experiences
  • A strong gag reflex
  • Fear of needles
  • Trust issues
  • Fear of loss of control
  • Feeling like dental care is an invasion of personal space
  • Generalized anxiety

Dental fear affects children and adults alike. It often results in avoidance, compounding your oral health problems. Dentistry doesn’t have to be stressful. Take advantage of sedation dentistry and enjoy dental care again!

What is oral conscious sedation?

Several sedation dentistry options exist. The dentist can use nitrous oxide for mildly anxious patients. This method delivers sedation by inhaling the colorless and odorless gas through a mask on your nose. There is also an option of intravenous (IV) sedation, where the anti-anxiety medication is delivered directly to the bloodstream through an IV line created on the arm or hand.

Oral sedation is yet another sedation dentistry alternative. It involves taking oral medication before your treatment. When you reach our office, you’ll be fully sedated to enjoy your treatment without feeling worried or anxious. Pill-based sedation is called oral conscious sedation because it doesn’t make you unconscious—you’ll be awake but relaxed and carefree about the moment-to-moment details of your treatment. Sometimes, you can doze off, but it takes a slight nudge to rouse you from your slumber.

Oral sedation slips you into short-term amnesia, so you won’t remember much about your treatment, including the noises and smells. It also makes you lose the sense of time. You’ll think your treatment took a few minutes, even when it lasted over an hour! Unlike nitrous sedation, oral sedation doesn’t wear off immediately after treatment. You need someone to accompany you to and from our office. Since you’ll continue feeling groggy and tired even at home, avoid driving, operating machinery, and alcohol for the next 24 hours.

Are you interested in oral sedation?

Nervous about seeing the dentist? Call us at (509) 463-1770—it’s the first step to overcoming your dental fears. Our dental team will discuss your anxiety to determine its source and severity and determine whether oral sedation is the best solution for you.