Dental Sedation
Many people suffer from a fear of visiting the dentist office due to a bad experience in the past or a worry that treatment may be painful or uncomfortable. Sedation is effectively a form of anxiety control and makes dental treatment more pleasant and more bearable for you.
Dr. Hutto likes to make sure that your visit with us is as comfortable as possible. If you have a particular phobia, please let us know as early as possible so we may be able to arrange an appropriate form of dental sedation that works best for your needs.
Dental sedation doesn’t involve putting you to sleep like general anesthesia, but it will put you in a nicely relaxed state, free from pain and still able to communicate with us. We have various forms of sedation, all of which are explained below.
Oral Sedation
As well as a general fear of visiting the dentist, we understand that some patients may have a specific phobia such as a fear of needles and other sharp instruments. In this case, oral sedation techniques may be used to alleviate those fears and make a dental procedure more comfortable. There are also other cases in which some patients may require a much stronger sedative effect than nitrous oxide can provide.
Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous Oxide, also known as laughing gas, is a very mild form of sedation used in dentistry. Â If you are just a little nervous about your treatments, this may be the best form of sedation for you. Â Nitrous Oxide has been used by dentists for many, many years and is still the most common form of dental sedation used today.
Local Anesthesia
Local anesthetics are used to minimize your pain and discomfort in the particular area of the mouth the dentist is working on. Anesthesia can be applied by Dr. Hutto topically or by injection. In some cases, it can even be combined with another form of sedation to ensure you have as comfortable an experience as possible during your procedure.
