You’re probably reading this because the thought of sitting in a dental chair makes your heart race. Maybe your palms are sweating a little right now. Maybe you’ve canceled appointments in the past, more than once, because the anxiety just felt like too much. You are not weak. You are not broken. And you are definitely not alone.
Dental fear is incredibly common. And at Horizon Family Dental Care in Baltimore, we don’t judge people for it. We help them. So let’s talk about sedation dentistry. What it actually is. How it feels. And whether it might work for someone like you.
What Sedation Dentistry Is (And Isn’t)
A lot of people picture sedation and think of being completely knocked out like in a hospital surgery. That’s not usually what we’re talking about.
Sedation dentistry uses medication to help you relax during dental appointments. You’re still breathing on your own. You can still respond if the dentist asks you a question. But the fear, the tension, the urge to bolt out of the chair? That all fades away.
Nitrous Oxide: “Laughing Gas”
This is the lightest option for sedation, and it’s a great place to start if your anxiety is mild to moderate.
You breathe the gas in through a small mask that sits over your nose. Within a few minutes, something shifts. You may feel warm. A little floaty. Maybe a bit giggly. You’re awake and aware, but you simply stop caring about what’s happening.
The dentist checks a filling. The hygienist does a cleaning. And you just relax.
The best part? Once the mask comes off, the effects wear off almost immediately. You can drive yourself home and get on with your day.
What Does It Actually Feel Like?
We get this question a lot. Patients want to know if they’ll feel trapped or out of control.
The answer is no. Sedation doesn’t make you feel loopy or out of sorts. It just turns down the volume on your fear. You’ll still be you. You just won’t be an anxious version of you.
One patient described it this way: “I remember sitting down. Then I remember the dentist saying we were all done. I couldn’t believe it was over. I kept waiting for the bad part, and it never came.”
Who Is a Good Candidate?
Most people with dental fear are good candidates for sedation. That includes patients who:
- Have a sensitive gag reflex
- Have trouble getting numb
- Need a lot of work done in one visit
- Have had a bad dental experience in the past
- Simply can’t stand the sounds and smells of a dental office
We’ll go over your medical history and make sure sedation is safe for you. For most healthy adults, it is.
You Don’t Have to Keep Avoiding the Dentist
Putting off dental care because of fear only leads to bigger problems down the road. Problems that often require more complex, and more expensive, treatment. You deserve a healthy smile. And you deserve to get it without white-knuckling through every appointment.
Call our Clinton office today. Ask us about sedation. Tell us about your fears. We’ve heard it all before, and we’ve never once judged someone for being honest.
Your first step doesn’t have to be a big one. Just pick up the phone. We’ll take it from there.