At Care Dental, we understand that dental anxiety can be a significant barrier to receiving the essential care you need. That’s why we offer various types of dental sedation to ensure your comfort during your visit. Our primary goal is to choose the very least amount of sedation necessary, as additional sedation increases procedure complexity, risk and cost.
We provide three main types of dental sedation: Oral Sedation, IV Conscious Sedation, and Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas). Nitrous oxide, often most successful with children, is a safe and mild option inhaled through a mask, inducing a relaxed, euphoric state. However, it is less useful for adults compared to other options. Oral sedation involves taking prescribed medication before your appointment, producing a drowsy yet conscious state, perfect for mild to moderate anxiety. In most cases, including dental surgeries such as wisdom tooth removal, and other extractions, oral sedation is sufficient and typically our first and preferred recommendation. Additionally, oral sedation does not carry additional cost to the patient beyond any dispensing fee levied by the patient’s preferred pharmacy. IV Conscious Sedation is administered intravenously and places you in a deeply relaxed state, typically used for more severe dental phobias. As IV sedation requires specific clinical supervision, additional equipment and precautions, in all cases, it carries an additional cost that is not typically covered by private dental insurance.
At Care Dental, we believe in a spa-like approach to dentistry, ensuring that your visit is as comfortable and anxiety free as possible. It’s important to note that people often confuse the purpose of sedation, thinking it eliminates pain. Eliminating pain is a combination of clinician experience and the proper application of freezing or local anesthetic, while sedation is a tool used to reduce dental anxiety. We take pride in our success in transitioning patients who previously required full IV Conscious Sedation to minimal or no sedation at all, thanks to our gentle and patient-centered approach. Our priority is to provide you with the right level of sedation to guarantee a stress-free and pleasant experience while considering your overall well-being and financial convenience.