Dr. Brian Hale's San Antonio Cosmetic Dentistry Blog

The goal of sedation dentistry is to use anti-anxiety medication, nitrous oxide and other drugs to relieve stress and fear and make visiting the dentist a more relaxing experience. Whether you need sedation for small procedures or large ones, it has greatly helped people who would normally not go to the dentist.

There are many reasons why people avoid the care of their mouth and gums. An estimated 30 percent of the population avoids their dentist because of their fears. Some of the reasons include:

• A traumatic dental experience in the past
• They have some kind of dental anxiety
• Embarrassed about their teeth or need a lot of work done at once
• Difficulty getting numb
• Very complex procedures
• Extremely sensitive teeth or sensitive gag reflex
• They are in denial of their dental problems

There are basically four types of sedation that Dr. Hale might use:

• Oral sedative
• Nitrous oxide (laughing gas)
• IV sedation
• General anesthesia

Oral sedatives and nitrous oxide are the most common, making the patient relaxed and comfortable while the procedure takes place. The effects work quickly and they wear off quickly so the patient can normally get home on their own. IV sedation and general anesthesia are reserved for more complicated issues.

If you live in San Antonio, Texas, and would like to learn more about sedation dentistry, please contact Dr. Brian Hale, a graduate from the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies, where he can answer all your questions.