You feel a little soreness in one of your back teeth, and it just causes you to sigh. It’s likely a cavity because you haven’t been to the dentist for a very long time…in fact, you’ve lost track of how long. Why is this the case? Because you, like millions of other Americans, have dental phobia, or a distinct fear and anxiety associated with the dentist. This phenomenon prevents countless people from getting the basic care that they need every year, but thankfully, dentistry has developed a solution to this all too common problem. At Capital Smiles, Dr. Erin Page are able to offer IV sedation in 12309. With it, they can calm even the most frazzled dental nerves so a patient can always enjoy a calm, cool, and relaxing visit.
What is IV Sedation?
“IV” of course stands for “intravenous,” so for this sedation method, a powerful medication is administered directly into the bloodstream via a small, painless injection. When the medication has taken effect, it provides a much deeper level of relaxation compared to nitrous oxide (aka “laughing gas”), and it can also be adjusted in real time during a procedure unlike oral conscious sedation. A patient will remain conscious while sedated this way, able to respond to basic commands, but time will seem to fly by very quickly, and they likely will have little to no memory of their appointment afterward.
Fortunately for people in the Capital District, Dr. Page is one of the limited number of dentists who are fully trained and certified to use this method themselves. They take every precaution to ensure the safety of a sedated patient and always keep a close eye on their vital signs.
The Benefits of IV Sedation at Capital Smiles
- It relaxes a patient extremely fast, helping them quickly become more comfortable while in the dental chair.
- It enables our team to perform more complicated procedures in-house, saving you from having to visit an outside specialist.
- It also allows us to perform more treatments in a single appointment in order to help a patient save time.
- Once a procedure is finished, its effects actually wear off more quickly compared to oral conscious sedation, enabling a patient to get back to their normal routine in less time.
Is IV Sedation Right For You?
The team at Capital Smiles may recommend IV sedation for patients who:
- Have avoided dental care due to fear or anxiety.
- Have avoided dental care due to a sensitive gag reflex.
- Don’t respond well to other forms of sedation/local anesthesia.
- Have difficulty sitting in the chair for long periods of time.
- Want more treatments completed in fewer appointments.
We’re Here to Help
Thanks to IV sedation, dental phobia no longer has to prevent you from getting the dental care you deserve. Already, we have used it to help hundreds of patients overcome their dental anxiety so they could achieve a strong, healthy, and beautiful smile.
If you have any questions, or if you would like to use IV sedation at your next dental appointment, please contact us today.