Modern life is full of stressful situations – getting and losing jobs; dating, mating, and divorce; moving and buying a home; illness and losing loved ones. Maybe you are one of thousands in the Buffalo, NY area that also stresses at the idea of visiting a dentist. Then you’ll be pleased to learn that dental anxiety is one stressor that may be eliminated from your life. Dr. Gordon Kent and his team at The Smile Center help patients get oral health back on track with dental sedation.
Sedation dentistry in a nutshell
The Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation estimates that 30 percent of our population avoids dental care due to fear. These individuals miss out on the preventive benefits of routine cleaning and examination appointments, early detection and treatment of oral problems, and the gorgeous results of cosmetic dentistry.
Sedation dentistry is a process that calms a patient’s anxieties before, during, and immediately after a dental visit, through the use of safe and carefully controlled medications.
Sedation modalities
In medicine a modality is a method of application of a therapeutic agent. Modalities for dental sedation include laughing gas, an inhaled gas; intravenous sedation administered by injection; and enteral sedation, or a pill taken by mouth.
Each modality has appropriate uses, but enteral, or oral conscious sedation, is the most widely used method in dentistry. You simply take a pill the night before and another the morning of your appointment, and arrange to have someone drive you to and from The Smile Center. You remain conscious, breathing on your own, and able to respond to conversation and move around. You are, however, very relaxed and unconcerned about dental treatment. Many patients doze off.
Your relaxed state allows Dr. Kent and his team to work efficiently and with minimal physical strain on your mouth. You are a bit groggy for the rest of the day, and wake next morning refreshed, usually with little recollection of the procedure.
Other applications for sedation dentistry
Sedation is an excellent choice for any patient who needs extensive or multiple procedures. It reduces physical stress and allows the work to be completed with the convenience of one appointment. It is also an option for those with fear of needles, or disabilities that make it difficult to sit for the duration of a dental appointment.
You have plenty of other stress in your life. Let Dr. Kent ease your concerns about dental visits with gentle sedation. Call The Smile Center today at to learn more about sedation dentistry.