Sedation Options

patient with gas mask being put in nitrous oxide sedation at Pacific Modern Dentistry

Taking care of your oral health is essential for maintaining healthy teeth and gums, a beautiful smile, and a healthy body. Your oral care starts at home with regular brushing and flossing. However, even those who brush and floss properly every day can still be faced with oral health complications that require treatment. If the thought of undergoing any type of dental treatment fills you with anxiety, you may avoid getting your necessary treatments. At Pacific Modern Dentistry, we can help you to get the dental care you need with sedation options.

What Happens if I Ignore Oral Health Issues?

Ignoring oral health issues has several significant effects on your mouth as well as your whole-body health. Most oral health issues do not resolve on their own. In fact, they only tend to grow worse over time. You may be faced with bone loss, loosening teeth, and tooth loss. Your teeth can shift out of alignment, leading to bruxism and temporomandibular joint disorder. Infections can lead to bacteria in your bloodstream, which can contribute to serious health issues like heart disease and diabetes. Getting treatment right away is essential for preventing serious issues from occurring and restoring your oral health.

Why Sedation?

Sedation is a way to help you relax in the dental chair, allowing you to get your dental treatments done. While sedation is commonly used for dealing with dental anxiety, it has other uses as well:

•	You have a low pain threshold.
•	Your teeth are extremely sensitive.
•	You have a strong gag reflex.
•	You have difficulty sitting still.
•	You need much dental work done.

Nitrous Oxide

You might know nitrous oxide better as laughing gas. Nitrous oxide is a form of mild sedation. In fact, it is the lightest, safest form of sedation available. It is an inhaled sedative. You breathe in a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen through a small mask that is placed over your nose. The gas goes to work very quickly. In addition to relaxing you, nitrous oxide raises your pain threshold and lowers your gag reflex. You are still completely conscious, able to answer questions and respond to requests during treatment. Once your procedure is complete, we turn the nitrous oxide off, leaving the oxygen on for just a few additional minutes. This ensures that all of the gas leaves your system. Nitrous oxide wears off very quickly, and you are back to normal almost immediately. You are even able to drive yourself home after your treatment in most cases.

Oral Conscious Sedation

Oral conscious sedation is a form of moderate sedation. With this type of sedation, you take a prescription medication by mouth about an hour before your scheduled procedure. The sedative takes about 30 minutes to take effect. Because this time can vary, it is important that you have someone drive you to your appointment.

With oral conscious sedation, you are still conscious, but you feel sleepy. For many patients, temporary amnesia is a common side effect. You may not remember parts of your procedure. Some patients do not remember any of the procedure at all. The effects of oral conscious sedation can linger for several hours. Make sure you have someone who can drive you home when your procedure is complete.

With sedation, you can relax and remain comfortable during your dental treatment, no matter if it is a simple cleaning and exam, or placing dental implants. Call Pacific Modern Dentistry at (206) 607-9822 today for more information and to find out if sedation is right for you.

Office Hours
Monday–Wednesday
7:00 AM–5:00 PM
Thursday–Friday
7:00 AM–12:00 PM

Location
2046 Westlake Ave. N. Suite 204
Seattle, WA 98109

Contact
Office: (206) 607-9822
Fax: (206) 284-4757

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