Sedation Dentistry

If you have any fear or anxiety about seeing the dentist, you are not alone. Sometimes dental phobia is so severe that it prevents people from seeing the dentist altogether, even when they are in significant pain. If you suspect that there is something wrong with your dental health, you should never delay getting treatment. And if you experience any dental anxiety, talk with our Beverly Hills sedation dentistry expert to go over your concerns, and our dentist will take all necessary precautions.

Sedation dentistry uses medication to calm patients and help them relax during their dental procedures. Some dentists refer to it as “sleep dentistry” although this is not entirely accurate since some treatments involve the patient still being awake. There are various levels of sedation dentistry that can be used by our expert in sedation dentistry in Beverly Hills including:

• Minimal sedation: you are awake but relaxed
• Moderate sedation: you are awake but may not remember a lot about the procedure
• Deep sedation: you are asleep but can still be awakened if need be
• General anesthesia: you are completely asleep

Sedation Dentistry Beverly Hills

Once your level of anxiety has been determined, our Beverly Hills sedation dentistry expert can recommend the best kind of sedation for you. Inhaled sedation, sometimes referred to as “laughing gas,” involves placing a mask over your nose to help you relax. The gas tends to wear off quickly, and most patients are well enough after the procedure to drive themselves home.

Oral sedation involves taking a pill an hour before the procedure is to take place. The pill will make you drowsy, but you will still be awake. Many patients fall asleep entirely during the procedure, but they can still be woken up fairly easily with minimal effort.

IV sedation involves a sedative drug being given through a vein, so you will be sedated much more quickly. This method allows our expert in sedation dentistry in Beverly Hills to adjust the level of sedation throughout the procedure.

Regardless of what type of sedation you receive, our Beverly Hills dentist will usually also have to apply a local anesthetic to ensure that you do not feel any pain during the treatment.