According to the American Dental Association, an estimated 22% of people in the U.S. avoid dental visits due to fear and anxiety. Putting off dental visits increases your risk of severe decay, gum disease and tooth loss. Fortunately, it’s no longer necessary to avoid seeing a dentist, because various sedation dentistry options ensure anxiety-free and comfortable treatment! At The Glen Dental, we offer IV sedation options in San Jose & Campbell, CA to match your unique needs, degree of sensitivity and type of procedure. Dr. Bhullar, Dr. Henne, and Dr. Kriegstein all have vast expertise, including advanced training and certification in IV sedation. We also offer oral sedation and nitrous oxide for patients with a fear of needles or those who simply prefer other methods.
Intravenous (IV) sedation involves the administration of an anti-anxiety drug (e.g., midazolam) during your dental procedure. While it’s sometimes referred to as “twilight” or “sleep” dentistry, you remain conscious during IV sedation in San Jose & Campbell, CA. The amnesic effects of IV sedation result in having little to no recollection of your procedure. Therefore, you’ll be unaware of the smells, sounds and sights of the procedure, as well as the operative setting.
Prior to starting the procedure, Dr. Bhullar, Dr. Henne, or Dr. Kriegstein will place a thin needle into a vein on your hand or arm. The needle is connected to an IV tube that delivers the sedative directly into your bloodstream. We monitor all your vitals during sedation to ensure you don’t have a negative reaction and also to modify the level of sedation, if necessary. You might feel a little groggy after the procedure and due to these lasting effects, you’ll need to arrange for a person to drive you home after your visit. We also recommend taking the full day off from work to get sufficient rest after your procedure.
Oral sedation is a good option for the management of mild to moderate anxiety. The goal is to produce a lightly sedated and relaxed state. With oral sedation, we prescribe a dose of a sedative (e.g., diazepam) before your procedure. You’ll take one pill an hour before your procedure, unless otherwise directed by Dr. Bhullar. After you’re completely relaxed and comfortable, we’ll start treatment. During your procedure, your heart rate, blood oxygen levels, blood pressure and breathing are monitored. As with IV sedation, the amnesiac effects of the drug may cause you to forget parts of the procedure, or possibly the entire experience. Oral sedation in Campbell, CA requires a designated person to drive you to and from our office.
Commonly referred to as “laughing gas,” this inhaled sedative makes you feel calm and helps to control pain. When you receive nitrous oxide, you’ll wear a nose apparatus, through which you will inhale the gas. The effects are mild and you’ll feel the effects as quickly as 30 seconds after you start breathing it in. Although you’ll be completely awake, you may not remember the procedure because it provides a deep state of relaxation. One of the benefits of nitrous oxide is that it wears off completely after your procedure, so you won’t feel groggy or sleepy. As long as you didn’t take another sedative, you can drive yourself home.
Sedation dentistry provides a host of preventive benefits. Neglecting regular professional dental care can cause serious oral and systemic health effects. A professional cleaning is required to prevent decay or early stage gum disease from worsening. Untreated decay and gum disease can lead to tooth loss and other serious consequences. Repercussions of tooth loss include trouble chewing, speech problems, chronic migraines caused by a change in bite pattern, oral infections, gum disease and the spreading of oral bacteria into the bloodstream, which can cause an array of serious systemic health issues.
If you’re counting the hours until your next dentist appointment or experiencing anxiety about having dental work done, we’re dedicated to ensuring your smile gets the TLC it needs and deserves. Our team will help you decide whether IV sedation in San Jose & Campbell, CA or another option will provide the most relaxing dental experience. In addition to alleviating dental fear, sedation dentistry can make a complex procedure such as full mouth dental implants feel like it lasted only a few minutes, when it actually took a couple of hours. If you feel anxious about the sights, sounds or smells of a dental visit, we welcome you to experience an anxiety-free dental experience at our beautiful and soothing new state-of-the-art facility.
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