What to Expect With Oral Sedation Dentistry in Phoenix

Imagine sitting in a dentist’s chair, hearing the whir of a dental drill or feeling the scrape as the hygienist nudges hardened tartar from your teeth. If those scenes make you cringe, you are probably one of more than 30 million people in the United States who skip dental visits because they fear the entire dental experience.

Yet there is a great way to receive professional dental care without the nerve-wracking anxiety. At Biltmore Dental Center in Phoenix, we offer oral sedation dentistry. With oral sedation dentistry, patients will arrive at our office relaxed, have dental care while sedated, and leave with beautiful teeth without any memory of the experience!

Oral sedation dentistry at Biltmore Dental Center is very safe and effective. If you have issues with dental phobia, a traumatic past dental experience, sensitive teeth, or a gag reflex that makes undergoing procedures extremely challenging and difficult, oral sedation dentistry could be the right choice for you to receive professional dental care without the tension.

Patients interested in oral sedation will have a consultation to ensure they are a good candidate for this type of dentistry. This will include a comprehensive medical and dental history questionnaire. You will need to inform the staff if you or a family member have had adverse reactions to anesthesia or if you are pregnant or taking any form of medications.

In preparing for your procedure, you will need to make advance arrangements for someone to drive you to and from your appointment on the day you have oral sedation dentistry scheduled.

On the day of the procedure, you will take an oral sedative approximately one hour prior to your visit. This sedative will make you drowsy but you will still be able to respond to questions.

When you are in the dental chair, the actual sedation will be administered by a board certified dental anesthesiologist who has had advanced training in safely dispensing and monitoring dental anesthetics. During the entire dental procedure, the anesthesiologist will be constantly at your chair side to monitor your blood pressure, pulse, and blood oxygen levels with electronic sensors.

Once the procedure is complete, you will be transitioned to a non-sedated state. During the recovery phase, you will become progressively more alert. The dentist will share with you and your guardian post-procedure instructions. When you arrive home, you may still feel somewhat groggy for the remainder of the day.

Overall, patients who undergo oral sedation dentistry are amazed at how it has transformed a traumatic event into a manageable, even relaxing experience that ensures they are receiving the dental care they need.

Call Biltmore Dental Center at (602) 704-0659 today and see how sedation dentistry can help you.