Sedation Dentistry - Florence & Louisville, KY

Don’t Let Dental Anxiety Harm Your Smile

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Sedation Provides Painless Peace of Mind

While we strive to build trusting relationships with our patients, we understand dental anxiety is an issue for many people. Studies have shown that dental anxiety affects 22–36% of the population, with an additional 12% suffering from extreme dental fear. Noisy instruments, smells associated with dentistry, and sensitive tooth roots and gum tissue are all valid reasons for anxiety. If you’re suffering from dental anxiety, there’s no reason to feel embarrassed or to postpone receiving essential dental care. At Embrace Dental Care, we’re dedicated to delivering comfortable and soothing oral health care to our patients. We offer a full range of sedation options designed to meet your specific needs, including general anesthesia in Florence, KY and Louisville, KY. Our team will help you choose the type of anesthesia that best suits your degree of dental anxiety and the complexity of your treatment. If you’re looking for a practice with a compassionate and trusting team that offers all levels of sedation dentistry, we welcome you to our dental family!

dental patient under sedation

Is Sedation Dentistry Right for Me?

Sedation dentistry provides a calming effect to help ease you into a state of relaxation of body and mind while receiving the dental care you need to preserve your oral health and smile. We highly recommend sedation dentistry if you have any of these issues:

Sedation Dentistry Services

dental patient under nitrous oxide sedation

Nitrous Oxide

Commonly referred to as “laughing gas,” nitrous oxide is a mild sedative that safely and effectively manages pain and mild anxiety for patients of all ages. Colorless and odorless nitrous oxide is mixed with oxygen and inhaled through a small mask that fits over your nose. While you may feel lightheaded or tingly or experience heaviness in your arms or legs, the relaxation effects wear off quickly with little to no adverse side effects. We carefully monitor you during treatment and ask you to breathe in only oxygen for five minutes after turning the nitrous oxide off.

dental patient taking oral sedation

Oral Sedation

Oral sedation is administered in pill form shortly before your appointment. The medication enables you to stay alert and responsive, while not feeling any pain or discomfort. This is a great option for mild anxiety, especially if you have a fear of needles and can’t receive IV sedation. Due to the lingering sedative effects of the medication, somebody will need to drive you home after treatment.

dental iv sedation

IV Sedation

Administered intravenously, this type of conscious sedation puts you in a sleep-like state, although you’ll remain awake during your procedure. IV sedation is safe and ideal for patients with severe dental anxiety or who have more involved procedures scheduled, such as full mouth dental implants. Your pulse, breathing and blood pressure are monitored throughout the procedure to ensure your safety. We can also adjust the level of sedation if needed. Due to the amnesic effects of IV sedation, you may forget part of or the entirety of your procedure. IV sedation can cause lingering drowsiness for several hours, therefore a designated person will need to drive you home after your visit.

The Dangers of Dental Anxiety

Dental anxiety and fear often become anticipatory, causing every visit to the dental chair to lead to discomfort, even when the procedure itself isn’t painful. This can cause patients to postpone or avoid dental care, which can lead to the need for far more intensive restorative procedures. Small dental health issues that go unchecked can eventually turn into big ones. Studies show dental fear increases the risk of decay, gum disease and early tooth loss. These issues can affect your ability to eat, drink, speak and socialize, while advanced gum disease is associated with worsening symptoms in people with diabetes, respiratory disease and heart disease. These repercussions are preventable with all our sedation options, including general anesthesia in Louisville, KY and Florence, KY. Reach out and learn more about how our specialized and comprehensive sedation solutions provide the comfort and confidence you need to maintain a healthy smile and life.

Receive the trusted care you need in comfort.

Contact us today and ask about our soothing sedation options.