Sedation Dentistry
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• | Having a low tolerance for pain. |
• | Having a strong gag reflex that is easily triggered. |
• | Having trouble sitting still. |
• | Having very sensitive teeth. |
• | Needing much dental work. |
• | Needing treatment that will take several hours. |
• | Minimal. This is the lightest form of sedation available. You are still completely conscious with minimal sedation, but you feel more at ease. |
• | Moderate. Moderate sedation causes you to feel sleepy, but you are still conscious. |
• | Deep. With deep sedation, you are on the brink of consciousness. You may even fall asleep during your treatment. |
• | General anesthesia. The strongest form of sedation, general anesthesia causes you to sleep during your treatment. |
• | Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas. Nitrous oxide is more commonly called laughing gas. It is a form of minimal sedation. You inhale nitrous oxide through a small mask worn over your nose. It goes to work almost instantly. In addition to feeling more relaxed, your pain threshold is raised, and your gag reflex lowered. When the gas is shut off, the effects wear off very quickly. |
• | Oral conscious sedation. Oral conscious sedation is a form of moderate sedation. It involves taking medication by mouth, which takes about 30 minutes to take effect. You feel sleepy but are still conscious. You may even experience temporary amnesia. The effects take several hours to wear off completely, so it is important to have someone drive you home. |
• | IV sedation. IV sedation involves using a needle to administer medication directly into your bloodstream. The needle is inserted either into the arm or into the back of your hand. Because the medication goes directly into your bloodstream, it goes to work very quickly. IV sedation can be used for moderate and deep sedation. General anesthesia is also administered through an IV. The effects of IV sedation linger for several hours, so it is important that you have someone to drive you home. |
HoursMonday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Tuesday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Wednesday: 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Providing prosthodontic and dental care in Frederick, Maryland, and the surrounding areas of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia and Washington DC. |