Every year hundreds of thousands of people avoid seeking out and receiving dental care due to fear of going to a dental office. By avoiding getting the treatment that they need, people with these anxieties jeopardize their oral health and issues that can initially be easily remedied very swiftly become problems that are much more difficult to solve. At Albion Dental Office, Dr. Trotti is prepared to help in situations such as these, and he offers multiple forms of sedation in order to find the right solution for each of his patients. These options help to put the anxious patient at ease, and not only make each visit much more manageable, in many cases they prove to also even reduce the number of visits required to complete a patient’s dental treatment.
Anyone can receive sedation for any type of dental work. Whether the visit will be involving dental hygiene (a “cleaning”), teeth fillings or root canals and extractions, sedation is always an option for the person who wants to have their dental treatment completed but is still nervous about being in the office. Dr. Trotti provides multiple options for light sedation at Albion Dental Office. In some instances, a patient will be able to drive home and/or go to work directly after treatment; in others, there is a need for the patient to be accompanied by someone else to drive them home when the sedative agent may need a few hours to truly wear off. Each person is different, which is why Dr. Trotti always talks about all the options available before starting on any treatment, whether or not sedation is involved.
For a person who experiences anxiety in the dental office, nitrous oxide (N₂O, also known as “laughing gas”) can be used to induce relaxation while having dental treatment. Nitrous oxide frequently takes effect within 2-3 minutes, and wears off about three minutes after discontinuing it, through breathing normal oxygen. Some people report that they feel a comfortable tingling sensation in their arms and legs, which is completely normal: this wears off immediately after the sedation is ended, as breathing normal oxygen removes all of the nitrous oxide from the blood stream. After this point, it is safe to drive and return to work or home without an escort to accompany you to your appointments.
In other cases, an sedative can also be given in a pill form: like nitrous oxide, these are very effective in helping a nervous patient relax, but it is important to have someone to escort you to and from your appointment, as it will impair your alertness and your ability to drive until the effects wear off completely (which can sometimes take several hours).
If you feel anxious or nervous about dental treatment, and it is keeping you from getting the care you need, some form of sedation may help you. If you have any questions about whether or not sedation for dental treatment may be right for you, schedule a consult with Albion Dental Office by calling (416) 749-9732, and Dr. Trotti will happy to discuss any concerns you may have.