Are you afraid of going to the dentist? Do you avoid routine dental appointments until you’re no longer able to? Dentophobia, or fear of the dentist, is more common than you might think! Patients like you with this fear are apprehensive, if not terrified, about visiting the dentist and undergoing dental procedures. Dental fear can often cause patients to go too long between routine visits or to postpone necessary dental work. At the Mini Dental Implant Center of America in Springfield, MO, we understand this fear, especially for procedures like dental implants. To help combat dental anxiety, we offer safe and effective sedation dentistry to keep you relaxed throughout the procedure.
What Sedation Dentistry Do We Use?
At the Mini Dental Implant Center of America in Springfield, MO, we use light sedation.
Rather than fully putting you to sleep, our sedation focuses on keeping you relaxed but alert. For most dental treatments, we need you awake so you can follow directions. If we need you to face a certain way or move your tongue, we need you to be able to hear us.
However, our sedation methods are still effective, leaving you with a serene sense of relaxation throughout the procedure.
Most commonly, we use nitrous oxide for sedation dentistry, also known as laughing gas. This gas is inhaled through a mouthpiece or a nosepiece and is felt almost immediately. With laughing gas, patients should expect to feel calm and relaxed.
The great thing about nitrous oxide is that the effects are easily reversed.
By inhaling oxygen through a mouthpiece or nosepiece, you flush all of the gas out of your system. The reversing effect is immediate, allowing you to drive home after your appointment without issue.
Additionally, we offer local anesthesia, which numbs your mouth. In combination with our sedation effects, we can keep you calm and comfortable throughout the procedure!
Treatments That May Need Sedation
Two common treatments we provide that patients need sedation for include:
- Tooth extractions: At the Mini Dental Implant Center of America in Springfield, MO, we always try to preserve your natural teeth. However, this isn’t always possible. When teeth are too infected or decayed to save, we may need to extract them to keep your smile healthy! While extractions sound intense, we ensure our patients receive safe, comfortable care using gentle extraction techniques. And of course, for those who need it, we can provide sedation for your extraction.
- Dental implants: After extracting a tooth, you need prompt tooth replacement to keep your smile healthy. Our preferred method of replacing missing teeth is dental implants! At our office, we use mini dental implants to restore your smile. These small titanium posts use a minimally invasive procedure that allows us to place them in one appointment. While a local anesthetic keeps you comfortable throughout the procedure, we may also provide nitrous oxide to help you relax during your implant placement.
To determine if you need sedation dentistry, you’ll need to come into our office for a consultation. When looking into mini dental implants, consultations are free!
During your appointment, we will assess your smile and take 3D digital X-rays. If you have enough bone to support a mini implant (which most patients do!), we can then develop a custom treatment plan for you.
This plan includes pricing, detailed implant planning, and discussing whether you need our sedation options or not.
To learn how our sedation options help you with your dental visit, book a consultation with us in Springfield, MO, today.
Get Safe and Effective Sedation Dentistry in Springfield, MO!
If you’re afraid of the dentist, you’re not alone. To help with dental anxiety, the Mini Dental Implant Center of America offers sedation dentistry that is safe and effective. With nitrous oxide and a local anesthetic, we help you feel more comfortable and at ease throughout your procedure, while still allowing you to drive home safely afterwards.
Book a free mini implant consultation with us to learn if you need dental sedation.
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