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When do we recommend a calming agent for our patients? If you are undergoing a more extensive treatment to address issues with your gums, we may suggest medication to help you enter a calm state. The same goes for dental implant placement, which requires oral surgery to complete. If you have dental anxiety or factors like special needs or an overactive gag reflex, then we can help ensure your treatment experience is a comfortable one. We want you to have a positive experience in our office, and to look forward to seeing our team again!
We have three different calming agents, which ones should we prescribe for you? We will take multiple factors into consideration when we choose a calming agent. For example, our team could look at your weight, age, medical history, and any medications you are currently taking. We also take your anxiety levels into consideration, as well as any special needs. Armed with this information, we can choose the most appropriate calming agent for you.
The most common and mild option is nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas. This is administered through a mask over the nose, so you breathe in a gas and enter a deep state of calm. We can adjust sedation levels as needed, and the effects wear off once the procedure ends, so you can even drive yourself home. You will stay conscious and able to respond to us, but will have little memory of the procedure.
Oral conscious sedation also means you stay conscious, but this is a deeper form of calming and one that leaves with no memory of the procedure. We will administer this with a pill or liquid prior to the procedure. The effects take time to wear off, so be sure someone is ready to bring you home. The deepest form is IV, and is administered intravenously, so you enter a sleep-like state, again with no memory of the experience. Be sure you have someone ready to bring you home afterward.
We want to help you smile with confidence and enjoy a positive experience in our office. To learn more about how we keep you comfortable, or to schedule your appointment, give us a call at our office in Encinitas, CA today at 760-642-0711.
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