Sedation Dentist - North Naples, FL

What Is Oral Conscious Sedation?

With oral conscious sedation, you don’t have to worry about needles or wearing a face mask. If you qualify for this method, Dr. Makram will prescribe a sedative for you to take prior to your appointment. It’s a small pill that’s taken before your procedure, putting you in a total state of relaxation within 15 minutes or so. The effects are long-lasting, which is why you’ll need to arrange for someone to drive you to and from our practice.

How Does Oral Conscious Sedation Work?

Because of its effectiveness and ease of use, oral conscious sedation is one of the most popular methods of sedation dentistry. Once the effects kick in, you’ll feel deeply calm and relaxed. It’s not meant to put you to sleep entirely, which means you’ll still be able to communicate with Dr. Makram throughout your appointment if needed. You’ll be monitored the entire time to ensure your safety.

Oral conscious sedation can have an amnesic effect, causing people to be unable to remember parts of their appointment after the medication wears off. You’ll need to wait until the sedative goes away completely before you resume regular activities, like work or school. A good rule of thumb is to wait a full 24 hours before returning to your usual routine.

Are You a Good Candidate for Oral Conscious Sedation?

These days, you have multiple sedation dentistry options to choose from. Of course, that doesn’t mean you’re a good candidate for every method. You may benefit from oral conscious sedation if you:

• Suffer from dental fear, anxiety, or nervousness
• Regularly miss your appointments because of nerves
• Have a sensitive gag reflex
• Are receiving multiple treatments or one long treatment
• Have difficulty keeping your mouth open or sitting in the treatment chair
• Can’t get numb with local anesthesia

What Is IV Sedation?

While nitrous oxide is inhaled and oral conscious sedation is taken orally, with IV sedation, medication is delivered intravenously, or through an IV. Within a few minutes, the patient feels completely calm, can respond to requests, but becomes unaware of what’s going on around them. Because of this method, the dosage can be regulated closely, and our team monitors the patient to ensure safety.

Who Is a Good Candidate for IV Sedation?

We usually reserve IV sedation for those who struggle with more severe dental anxiety or who is undergoing more complex or lengthy treatment. Prior to your procedure, we will consult with you to determine the best sedation dentistry solution for your unique case.

As a result of the powerful effects this sedation options has, you will need someone to drive you home from your appointment at our office and monitor you for a while afterward until you return to normal functioning.

The Benefits of IV Sedation

Although this form of sedation requires getting an IV, there are several advantages that come with it. First of all, the sedative is delivered straight to the bloodstream, which means it can start to work much more quickly than oral conscious sedation. In addition, if changes in sedation are required, it can be adjusted during the procedure, so you stay perfectly comfortable the entire time. Finally, while IV sedation may not put you to sleep, it has a strong amnesiac effect, which means you will likely not remember much of the appointment.

Who Is A Good Candidate for Nitrous Oxide?

Patients who exhibit any of the following symptoms or conditions may find nitrous oxide to be extremely helpful when receiving treatment:

• Sensitive gag reflex
• Difficulty getting numb
• Mild or moderate dental anxiety
• Traumatic dental experience at another dentist’s office
• Difficulty remaining comfortable in the dentist’s chair
• Tooth sensitivity
• Fear of needles

The only way to receive nitrous oxide, however, is to schedule an appointment with the sedation dentist in North Naples. This will allow our team to review a patient’s overall health history and ensure they are healthy enough to receive this type of sedation.

How Does Nitrous Oxide Work?

Receiving nitrous oxide is a simple and easy process. The patient sits in the dentist’s chair and has a nasal mask placed over the nose. The dentist then turns on the nitrous oxide and oxygen mixture, instructing the patient to inhale. Within minutes, the gas begins to take effect, causing the individual to become tired and much more relaxed.

While the patient is never fully sedated, they remain in a comfortable state that doesn’t allow for pain or anxiety-inducing thoughts/actions. Once the gas is turned off and the mask is removed, its effects will dissipate quickly.

Aftercare for Nitrous Oxide

One of the greatest benefits of choosing nitrous oxide is that it causes no serious side effects. Most patients never experience any issues following this type of sedation. Once everything is turned off and the treatment is complete, patients can expect to drive themselves back to work or home and resume normal activity. There should be no lasting issues associated with nitrous oxide, which is why so many people prefer it.

Is sedation dentistry safe?

Sedation dentistry can be a safe option for patients as long as a thorough consultation is completed first. This visit allows Dr. Makram to go over your oral and overall health, discussing any conditions you might have as well as any medications you are currently taking. It’s important that we have this information, as some types of sedation may not be as effective if you are taking certain medicines.

When administered by a trusted and skilled professional like Dr. Makram, however, you can expect it to be a safe and comfortable experience.

Is sedation dentistry safe while pregnant?

If you are pregnant, it is actually recommended that you wait until after your baby is born to pursue any kind of sedation dentistry. Because of the medications that are used, there is a possibility that they can be transferred to the baby through the placenta. Different trimesters can cause varying problems as well. If you are in your first trimester, there is the potential for developmental issues; however, in the third trimester, sedation can cause preterm labor.

Will I remember anything with dental sedation?

It is unlikely that you will remember much from your dental appointment when receiving dental sedation. No matter if it’s nitrous oxide, oral conscious sedation, or IV sedation, the medicine that is administered often causes temporary amnesia, allowing you to forget what occurred while in the dentist’s chair. This means that you can feel more confident and comfortable while undergoing regular or complex dentistry, which can make for a more enjoyable experience for you and Dr. Makram.

What are the risks of sedation dentistry?

It depends on the type of sedation you receive. With nitrous oxide, it is unlikely that you will experience any negative side effects, as it begins to wear off the minute the gas is turned off and the mask is removed. With oral conscious sedation or IV sedation, there is the potential for some side effects, such as nausea, grogginess, or headaches.

If you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), there is the potential that you could have an allergic reaction to the medication used for sedation. This is why it’s essential that you let Dr. Makram know which medicines you are currently taking.