Posted: March 16, 2022
Dental sedation is a safe and effective way to address discomforts including dental phobia, increased anxiety or discomfort surrounding dental visits, and more. Sedation may also be a good fit for people who have sensitive teeth, a high tolerance for numbing medications, or an overactive gag reflex. It’s good for people with TMJ or those whose jaws may become sore during longer treatments, and can even be useful for helping patients with RLS remain calm and still while undergoing a dental procedure.
There are three primary types of dental sedation:
- Nitrous Oxide. Also called “laughing gas,” nitrous oxide produces a feeling of euphoric calm, but does not put the patient to sleep
- Conscious Oral Sedation. COS invites calm and allows for both the body and mind to become comfortable. As the name implies, you are awake during COS, but you will have no memory of your procedure
- IV Sedation. IV sedation, also known as general sedation or twilight sedation, places the patient into a deep state of relaxation. Similar to sleep, twilight sedation can produce feelings of absolute calm
While none of these are designed specifically to put a patient to sleep, falling asleep while on a sedative is fairly common. Regardless, these medications make it easier for our dentists to perform all procedures while helping to enhance the overall patient experience.
We offer all three types of dental sedation. COS and laughing gas are administered by one of our experienced dentists or staff members. With IV sedation, we bring in a licensed and experienced anesthesiologist for both administration and monitoring. This helps to protect patient safety while allowing us to offer the most advanced and efficacious sedation options available today.
Contact Us to Learn More
Sedation dentistry is a great fit for many of our patients. Is it a good fit for you? Give us a call at 212-452-3344 to schedule a sedation dentistry evaluation and find out. Located in Manhattan, NYC Smile Design welcomes patients from all surrounding areas, including communities in New Jersey and Connecticut.
