The Advantages of Sedation Dentistry You Need to Know

For some patients, going to see our Orange Park, FL, dentist can feel like getting over a huge hurdle. There’s anxiety that builds before arriving and a certain level that sticks around throughout the visit no matter if it’s a regular teeth cleaning or a more involved procedure. Fortunately, we offer the key to a more relaxed appointment: sedation dentistry.

Here are the top 3 benefits of using dental sedation inside our office.

How Can Sedation Help Me?

Sedation reduces anxiety, irritability, or restlessness through the administration of certain medication and laughing gas. Most forms of dental sedation allow the patient to remain awake and able to respond to verbal commands. For example, if we ask you to move your head slightly or rinse your mouth, you’re able to do so.

A procedure does not have to be invasive to need sedation. If a patient’s fear or dental anxiety is severe enough, Dr. Marino will recommend sedation to calm their nerves. The medication will relax the patient enough that they can sit still in the chair until treatment is complete.

Other times, sedation is used in combination with local anesthesia to help ease a patient through a root canal or tooth extraction. If you ever feel as though you need extra assistance easing into your visit, let us know. We’d be happy to discuss various options with you. Streaming services and therapy dogs are available as well!

Receiving Dental Sedation Allows For:

1. Everyone to Find Relief

Laughing gas and oral sedation are safe for patients of all ages to use, though the latter must be prescribed by our dentists and can cause increased drowsiness. For this reason, we ask that anyone interested in taking anti-anxiety medication arrange a ride home from our Orange Park, FL, dental office.

In general, sedation dentistry is best for those who:

• Have a low pain threshold
• Have trouble sitting still
• Have very sensitive teeth
• Have a bad gag reflex
• Need a significant amount of dental work completed

2. More Efficient Appointments 

Dental anxiety often prevents patients from coming into the office for treatment. Sedation, on the other hand, calms your stress during your appointment which allows more to get done in one visit. It also lets Dr. Marino and our team members complete procedures faster.

It is not uncommon for severely anxious individuals to have multiple procedures done in one appointment (if needed) under sedation in order to avoid coming in several times. If this would work best for you, Dr. Marino can speak with you one-on-one to determine an appropriate plan of action.

Be sure to also keep up with your at-home oral hygiene routine. The more you stay consistent with daily toothbrushing and flossing, the less likely you will need certain restorative procedures.

3. A Restful Experience

When you are under sedation, you no longer feel agitated or jittery. That’s because the medication, whether inhaled gas or an ingested pill taken a bit before your visit, puts you at ease in minutes. Though you are still conscious, you are resting which is beneficial for not just you, but everyone involved as well.

Breathe Easier With Our Team

If you need help ditching anxious feelings while you’re with us, our dentist serving Orange Park and Greater Jacksonville, FL, has you covered. We want every patient to be comfortable from the moment they walk in to when they depart. Call Marino Family Dentistry today at (904) 269-2185 to request an appointment and go over sedation options.