Many people experience nerves around dental visits, especially if they must undergo a longer or more complex procedure. However, if you’re overly afraid, you might avoid scheduling everything from routine checkups to receiving repairs or restorations that can protect and preserve your smile.
Thankfully, plenty of providers understand that their patients might be anxious and offer one or more options for dental sedation to help you remain calm and comfortable throughout your appointment. Continue reading to learn more about what to expect when being treated with these medications to help decide if this service is right for you!
What is Dental Sedation?
Dental sedation refers to different medications your provider can offer intended to help you get through your appointment or procedure successfully. You might assume that these are only available to those undergoing oral surgery, but that’s not necessarily the case!
For example, your dentist could also recommend a sedative if you have:
- A longer or more involved service to complete.
- A sensitive gag reflex that is easily triggered.
- Severe dental anxiety that prevents you from keeping appointments.
- Any physical or mental conditions that make it challenging to sit still for extended periods.
- A resistance to local numbing agents.
What Does Nitrous Oxide Feel Like?
Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) may be the most common type of dental sedation offered, and is widely used because it’s considered safe for most people when it’s administered by a qualified professional. This gas is inhaled through a mask that’s placed over your nose while your dentist works.
The medication allows you to remain awake and aware, but at-ease. The effects kick in almost immediately and typically induce a deep sense of calm and sometimes euphoria. Many people also report feeling tingling in their limbs or catching a bad case of the giggles. It temporarily impairs your body’s ability to respond to external stimuli, but this fades within minutes after the mask is removed.
What Does Oral Conscious Sedation Feel Like?
This drug is prescribed as a pill, usually with instructions to take it before arriving for your visit. That way, the effects kick in by the time your dentist starts your procedure. You might feel heavy or weighed down, and though this medication isn’t intended to put you to sleep, you might feel so deeply relaxed that you accidentally doze off.
This option also sometimes causes a mild amnesia effect that makes it difficult to recall the details of your treatment afterward. However, many anxious patients consider this short-term memory loss to be another advantage of undergoing sedation.
If you’re unsure whether you’re a good candidate for dental sedation or which type works best for you, you can learn more by discussing the options with your provider!
Meet the Author
Dr. Abdel A. More Duarte (Dr. More) has over a decade of experience helping people of all ages build and maintain the healthiest, most beautiful versions of their smiles. He earned his initial dental degree from the University of Medical Sciences in Villa Clara, Cuba, then moved stateside and completed the International Dental Program at Virginia Commonwealth University. Today, he proudly offers a complete menu of services, including dental sedation, to meet all your needs under one roof. You can request an appointment on the website or by calling (704) 844-0556.