Sedation Dentistry Fort Lauderdale, FL

Dental anxiety is real for so many people. Whether they fear pain, the dental drill, or have had a bad experience in the past, their worry can prevent them from getting critical oral health care. To combat the side effects of this anxiety, we offer sedation dentistry at Premier Smile Center in Fort Lauderdale. You can see the dentist, get the care you need, and feel comfortable while doing so.

Sedation allows the people who feel most anxious about undergoing dental work to receive the treatment they need.

Types of Sedation Dentistry

• Oral sedation: Your Fort Lauderdale dentist offers oral sedation in the form of a pill to help you relax. This sedative puts the patient in a twilight sleep so you are fully relaxed and calm but can still respond to requests and questions if needed. You will need to have someone escort you home from your dental appointment after being under conscious sedation.
• Laughing Gas: Laughing gas is a fast-acting gas that obscures pain and gives patients a feeling of lightness and happiness. Laughing gas can take effect a few seconds after inhaling for some people and a few minutes for others. A small mask is placed over the nose for continuous inhalation throughout the dental procedure and wears off quickly once the mask is removed.

Most patients remain awake after taking sedation medication and only experience a sleepy feeling. Others are so relaxed they may doze off during their procedure.

When Is Sedation Dentistry Used?

Many people benefit from sedation dentistry, offering them a way to pursue necessary dental treatment without triggering deep fear or panic.

The circumstances of a person’s visit to the dentist will affect whether sedation is the right choice or not. Some of the most common reasons for oral sedation include the following:

• Dental anxiety: Whether a fear of discomfort, feeling out of control about the situation, or worrying that a bad experience will repeat itself, dental anxiety is real, and it can prevent a person from getting important oral health care. Sedation can get you in the chair and relaxed so the necessary work can be done.
• Difficulty controlling movements: Being jumpy in the dental chair is a bad thing when dental work is being done. Sedation creates a wave of calm so a person can sit still and allow the dentist to do her work.
• Resistance to local anesthetics: When local anesthetics don’t mask the feeling of dental work, oral sedation can put a person in a comfortable place.
• Dental sensitivity: A severe gag reflex, a dislike of someone’s hands in your mouth, or any other dental sensitivity can be minimized with sedation.
• Severe pain: When mouth or tooth pain is so overwhelming it can barely be tolerated, one of the best ways to get outside of that pain to undergo dental care is with sedation.
• Trauma: A mouth injury so severe it requires an emergency dental visit will almost always call for oral sedation to relax the patient and help them stay calm throughout the visit.
• Extensive dental work: Sometimes patients have no dental anxiety but they are facing many dental procedures. Oral sedation can make it easier to undergo longer appointments for extensive dental work.

There are also certain dental procedures where sedation dentistry makes sense. A patient who is completely relaxed is an easier patient to work with, making the dentist’s job less complicated and allowing her to work faster to complete the task.

Oral sedation may be recommended if you are undergoing one of the following procedures:

• Dental implants
• Wisdom tooth removal
• Complex tooth extractions
• Root canal therapy
• Gum surgery

Sedation dentistry is typically combined with a local anesthetic to deliver total comfort throughout the procedure.

Feel Comfortable at the Dentist

At Premier Smile Center, we also offer comfort amenities so you feel completely at home, even though you’re in the dentist’s chair. Your well-being is our top priority in all dental procedures. We offer soft blankets and pillows, and the opportunity to listen to music or watch movies during your treatment.

Don’t allow dental anxiety to stop you from getting the oral health care you deserve. Contact your Fort Lauderdale dentist today to discuss sedation dentistry and whether it’s right for you.