There’s nothing worse than experiencing anxiety or immense fear of visiting the dentist. Some people also neglect to visit the dentist because they experience embarrassing gagging, find it difficult to sit still, or don’t get numb with a local anesthetic. If any of these problems sound like you, know that there is a solution that will help you feel relaxed enough to visit the dentist and even have multiple procedures in one sitting. Sedation dentistry is a treatment Dr. Polley likes to give his patients so they can have a more positive experience at the dentist.
To find out if sedation dentistry in Las Vegas is for you and to have any questions you might have answered, please schedule a consultation with our sedation dentist, Dr. James B. Polley. Give us a call at (702) 873-0324 or email our dentist to schedule an appointment today.
Can Oral Sedation Dentistry Help You?
Dental anxiety, unfortunately, causes a vicious cycle. First, your anxiety prevents you from receiving preventive dentistry that prevents problems in the first place. Then, your problems grow out of control which means you will need to have more invasive procedures. Now you’re experiencing anxiety about visiting the dentist and having an invasive procedure. There’s no winning.
Dr. Polley offers oral sedation dentistry to help patients stop anxiety in its tracks so they can receive the preventive and invasive procedures they need without the stress and anxiety. Oral sedation dentistry is a safe and effective way to help you relax before and during your upcoming dental appointment. Oral sedation can help people who experience:
- Anxiety about visiting the dentist
- Stress from the sounds and sights of visiting the dentist
- Sensitive gag reflex during dental procedures and exams
- Difficulty sitting still or immense discomfort during appointments
- Excessive discomfort following a dentist appointment
Regular discomfort can increase immensely when stress contributes to it. When you’re feeling stressed out and filled with anxiety for your dental appointment, you will feel even more discomfort as a result. With oral sedation dentistry, you will feel less stressed, more relaxed and therefore less discomfort during your appointment.
Oral sedation dentistry is safe to use and nearly everyone is a good candidate for it. If you aren’t a good candidate for oral sedation, it’s likely due to an allergy to the medication we use. Oral sedation might not be right for patients who also suffer from sleep disorders, heart conditions, or who take certain medications or supplements.
How Oral Sedation Dentistry Works
Since every patient is different, Dr. Polley will choose the oral sedation medicine that’s best for you and your needs. The medication will reflect on how much anxiety you experience and how long your procedure is. Before your appointment, we will instruct you to take the pill and then we will monitor your vital signs and comfort level during your appointment. It’s important that you are conscious enough to respond to the dentist’s instructions during your procedure. You will feel deeply relaxed and may even fall asleep during your procedure.
Once your procedure is over, you will likely not remember much if any of it. You will need to arrange for a ride home from your appointment because the medication impacts your ability to drive.
General Anesthesia
When sedation dentistry isn’t enough, we will give you general anesthesia. General anesthesia puts you in an unconscious state which means you won’t be conscious or have any memory of your procedure. Please note that our dental practice is licensed for general anesthesia.
We recommend general dentistry for patients who:
- Have extreme dental anxiety
- Don’t respond to oral sedation
- Can’t sit still
- Have an invasive procedure
- Have developmental disabilities
There are many risks to consider when you opt for general anesthesia versus oral conscious sedation. Dr. Polley will discuss these risks with you during your consultation. Very few dental practices have a license to provide general anesthesia for dental procedures. We feel thrilled to have the ability to offer it to our patients who need it so they can get the dental care they need with minimal discomfort.
Deep Sedation
We also offer deep sedation if general anesthesia is not necessary. Deep sedation dentistry is slightly different than general anesthesia and also poses less risk. Like general anesthesia, it uses drugs to induce a loss of consciousness. However, with deep sedation, a patient can easily respond after repeated stimulation. With general anesthesia, the patient cannot respond until the medication wears off. Talk to our sedation dentist to find out which solution is right for you.
If you suffer from dental anxiety, a fear of the dentist or other problems that prevent you from seeing the dentist regularly, we invite you to visit us for a consultation to see if sedation dentistry is right for you. Please call our Las Vegas dentist office to schedule an appointment with Dr. Polley by calling (702) 873-0324 or sending us an email today.
