Comfortable Sedation Dentistry in San Jose, CA
At Dennis Baik, DDS, we offer sedation dentistry for patients living in and around the San Jose area. We understand that for millions of adults, visiting the dentist can be an overwhelming or frightening experience due to dental anxiety. This common condition typically starts with a negative experience or becoming fearful of the general idea of dentistry. While common, you do not have to be concerned about visiting our dentist office because we work to ensure your comfort the entire time.
It is our goal that you will have a pleasant and stress-free experience with our sedation dentistry in San Jose. You don’t have to be afraid or anxious about your teeth to have the bright, healthy smile you’ve always desired.
What is Sedation Dentistry?
With the help of Dr. Baik, sedation dentistry will enable you to relax during dental operations. You can overcome anxiety using any of the available dental sedation methods in our office. Additionally, sedation can help make better use of your time by enabling you to combine multiple operations into a single office visit.
Types of Dental Sedation
There are various levels and types of sedation. During your consultation, we will discuss the recommended procedure with you along with any anxieties you may have. At that time, a recommendation will be made for the type of sedation you may want to consider. The ultimate decision is up to you based on how you believe you will handle the procedure.
The three types of dental sedation methods are IV moderate sedation, oral minimal sedation, and nitrous oxide sedation.
- IV Moderate Sedation – If a more intensive procedure is required, patients may prefer IV medication for a more thorough effect. When sedation is administered through this means the numbing effect is more pervasive and not confined to that one specific area of the mouth. It is extremely effective and as a sedation dentist, we find that many of our patients request this type of medication because they want to ensure that they do not feel anything while having dental work performed. If this is the case, the effect can still wear off fairly quickly after the treatment is over, but we do recommend having a friend or family member drive you home just in case.
- Oral Minimal Sedation – This involves taking a sedative pill an hour before your dental procedure. It is best for anyone with a sensitive gag reflex and moderate dental anxiety. You feel quite peaceful, relaxed, and even drowsy after taking an oral minimal sedation, but you are still able to react to commands.
- Nitrous Oxide – Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, is the best option for people who have mild anxiety or nervousness. It is a a colorless, odorless gas, inhaled both before and during your dental procedure. You feel relaxed and even joyful after the effects kick in. In many cases, our patients simply need to relax and prefer to use laughing gas in order to do so. It is quick, effective, and wears off when the procedure is finished without impairing any other bodily functions. Some patients use this to relax when getting their teeth cleaned since there is no actual pain associated with the treatment.
When a cavity is being treated or other minor dental work performed, patients may prefer to use a combination of laughing gas and localized pain medication. After numbing the surface of the gums, we can inject pain medication that numbs the area that is being worked on. As a sedation dentist, this is an effective tool for us to prevent and eliminate any discomfort. We can administer as much medication as is necessary throughout the course of the treatment, and only that specific area will remain numb. The benefit of this type of sedation is how localized it is. For example, if a cavity is being treated on one side of the mouth, the other side will remain fully functional. This way you can eat immediately after the treatment while the numbing effect wears off on the other side.
Benefits of Sedation Dentistry
- Decrease in Dental Anxiety – Sedation helps you feel less anxious during dental procedures.
- Relaxing Dental Experience – Any sedation method will make you feel relaxed and comfortable. It will particularly help children who require full dental care to help avoid trauma at a young age.
- Improve Your Dental Health – By decreasing or removing your dental anxiety, you’ll be able to finish your treatments and improve your oral health.
- Effective Dental Treatments – Sedation dentistry helps Dr. Baik perform any treatment more effectively without any hindrances from patients. This will help you achieve the best results from your dental procedures. You can also withstand longer and more complicated operations with the help of sedation.
What You Need to Know About Sedation Dentistry
When you schedule an appointment with us, let us know if you have dental anxiety so that we can prepare for your visit accordingly. For many people, the actual procedure is not uncomfortable but it is the anxiety and worry that causes angst. With this in mind, we often prescribe an oral sedative or laughing gas that can be administered prior to the appointment to help a person relax. While this is not a pain killer, it eases the fear and relaxes the body so that you can remain peaceful while having teeth cleaned, or dental work performed. While the dosage is different, laughing gas can be used on both children and adults so that all of our San Jose patients can remain comfortable.
Anxiety-Free Dental Visits
Making our patients feel at ease and calm during each dental appointment is our first priority at Dennis Baik, DDS. We will work with you to select the best sedative for your dental needs and assist you during the operation if you are experiencing anxiety or nervousness.
At Dennis Baik, DDS, we will take the time to get to know you and understand what all of your concerns are prior to making a formal recommendation as to the type of sedation dentistry that you should consider. We will also need to know if you have any other health issues, risks, or are allergic to anything. Typically, if you have responded well to pain medication or sedation in other medical treatments, you will do well with sedation dentistry and not experience any negative side effects. Still, if you have questions or concerns be sure to discuss them with us. With any type of dental work, it is important to be well informed and make a decision that you feel is best for your health and your goals. As such, we want you to be an informed and educated patient. Thanks to modern technology, if you are afraid of having dental work done or visiting the dentist in general, you no longer have to be. As a sedation dentist, we can ensure that your experience is a positive one.