Smile Well Dental Care
Anxious about your visit to the dentist? At Smile Well, we advocate new sedation techniques to help you feel more comfortable, reassured and relaxed.
Conscious Sedation
Administered in pill form, conscious sedation lasts for two to five hours and will leave you feeling sleepy, but aware of your surroundings, and able to respond to the dentist during your procedure. Despite being aware of what is going on, most people do not remember their experience and feel no anxiety while sedated.
As the sedation takes effect, you will slowly start to feel sleepy and become fully relaxed within about 30 minutes. Your dental team will monitor your blood pressure and check on you to be sure you are comfortable as the medication takes effect. Once you are fully sedated, the dentist will administer the local anesthetic (if required) and begin your dental work. Throughout your procedure, you will have one of us keeping an eye on you and monitoring your breathing and vital signs to be sure you are doing well.
Intravenous Sedation
Intravenous (IV) sedation is a technique used for patients who require a higher sedation level than the oral medication can provide. While this technique puts you into a sleep-like state, you will not be unconscious during your procedure like you would be with general anesthesia.
Even the lengthiest procedures can be completed while you are under IV sedation and you will most likely have no memory of your experience despite being conscious. Since this is a conscious sedation technique, your dentist may also use a local anesthetic depending on the work required.