Relax Your Body and Mind for a Healthy Smile
According to studies, 25–36% of people avoid going to the dentist due to dental anxiety or fear. Common issues include worrying about an injection or procedure perceived to be painful, the discomfort of keeping your mouth open for an extended period, or the need to undergo multiple procedures. In addition to alleviating dental fear, a significant advantage of sedation dentistry in Clovis, CA, is that lengthy dental procedures such as full mouth dental implants feel like they last minutes rather than hours.
Is Sedation Dentistry Right for Me?
If dental anxiety prevents you from getting the dental care you need, you’ll benefit from sedation dentistry at Clovis Family Dentistry. We recommend getting sedation anesthesia near you in Clovis, CA, if you meet any of the following criteria:
- Any degree of dental anxiety or fear
- Sensitive gag reflex or teeth
- Low pain threshold
- Past traumatic dental experiences
- Undergoing multiple or complex treatments
- Aversion to the noises and smells inherent to dentistry
Types of Sedation Dentistry
Local Anesthesia
Local anesthesia is a medication used to prevent oral pain in the treated area. In some cases, a topical anesthetic is used to numb the area before injecting the local anesthetic into your gum tissue or cheek. Local dental anesthesia in Clovis, CA, blocks nerves that sense or transmit pain, numbing the treatment site and sometimes the adjacent tissue.
Nitrous Oxide
Commonly called laughing gas, nitrous oxide is a colorless gas mixed with oxygen inhaled through a small mask that fits over your nose. Nitrous oxide is an optimal and gentle dental anesthesia for alleviating mild to moderate dental anxiety because it induces relaxation and a sense of euphoria. After the nitrous oxide is turned off, you breathe in oxygen only for a few minutes, and the effects wear off quickly without any lingering side effects.
Oral Conscious Sedation
With oral sedation, you’ll take one pill an hour before your procedure, although we may recommend taking a pill the night before to reduce worrying about treatment. You’ll experience a feeling of relaxation, and we closely monitor your vitals during treatment. Oral sedation causes grogginess and impacts coordination, so a friend or family member must drive you home.
IV Sedation
IV sedation in Clovis, CA, is safe dental anesthesia whether you have severe dental anxiety or are undergoing more complex treatments. A sedative medication is administered through a thin needle placed in a vein in your arm or hand that helps you feel comfortable while your vitals are closely monitored. As with oral sedation, a designated adult will need to drive you home, and you should rest until the effects wear off.
The Preventable Consequences of Neglecting Dental Visits
Minor oral health issues that go unchecked can eventually turn into big ones. Studies show dental anxiety increases the risk of tooth decay, gum disease, and early tooth loss due to missed appointments. These issues can affect your ability to eat, drink, speak, and socialize, while advanced gum disease is associated with worsening symptoms in people with diabetes, respiratory disease, and heart disease.
With your choice of soothing dental anesthesia delivered with a kind and caring touch, there’s no reason to let dental anxiety jeopardize your oral health and overall well-being. Rest assured, when you get sedation dentistry at Clovis Family Dentistry; our team goes above and beyond to ensure your treatment is as gentle and comfortable as possible!
