Sedation Dentistry

Regular dental checkups are an important part of your oral health, and occasionally, you may even need more extensive procedures such as fillings or a root canal. Your oral health plays an integral role in your overall health, but for many, the discomfort and anxiety associated with dental care can be enough to make them avoid seeking treatment altogether.

Our Beverly Hills dentist offers sedation dentistry to make visits more comfortable for those who experience anxiety or dental phobia. Sedation can also make lengthy procedures or multiple procedures performed at one appointment more comfortable for the patient.

Sedation dentistry is a safe and highly effective way to relieve your anxiety and improve your overall dental experience. Our dentist provides several types of sedatives, depending on the procedures you need and your personal preferences. Oral sedation, nitrous oxide, and IV sedation are common options that can help ease your stress or make long or multiple procedures more tolerable.

Oral sedation involves the administration of an oral sedative to reduce fear or anxiety. It’s one of the most common methods of sedation dentistry today. Oral sedation can be used to achieve light, moderate, or deeper levels of sedation, depending on what is needed by the patient or what is appropriate for the particular procedure.

Nitrous oxide has long been used in dentistry to calm nervous patients and ease pain. While it is rarely used as an anesthetic today, it is still a common and quite popular sedative. Nitrous oxide may be used on its own for minimum levels of sedation or used in tandem with oral sedatives for moderate or deeper levels of sedation. Our dentist can help you determine which may be best for your situation.

Finally, IV sedation allows our dentist to administer sedatives and occasionally anesthetics intravenously. Dosages can be easily adjusted as needed, providing greater levels of comfort for the patient.

Conscious sedation will not leave you unconscious or unaware of your surroundings, but you will most likely need assistance getting to and from your dental appointment. Some types of sedation may leave you with a limited memory of your dental procedure. It is critical that you discuss your medical history and any prescription or over-the-counter drugs with our Beverly Hills cosmetic dentist as you are weighing the risks and benefits of sedation dentistry before your next dental procedure.