Sedation Therapy

What is Sedation Therapy?

If you are feeling anxious or worried about an endodontic treatment, our team at Vertex Endodontics can help you relax by using sedation therapy.  Sedation dentistry uses medication to help you feel more comfortable during the appointment. It is sometimes known as “sleep dentistry,” but the phrase isn’t completely accurate because patients are typically awake during the appointment (unless it is determined that general anesthesia is necessary).

There are several levels of sedation, depending on the treatment and unique needs of each patient:

• Minimal Sedation:
  You remain awake throughout the appointment, and medication is used to help you feel relaxed
• Moderate Sedation:
  Sometimes known as “conscious sedation,” this therapy relaxes you to the point where you won’t remember much, and you will likely be slurring your words while speaking.
• Oral Sedation:
  Vertex endodontists can prescribe oral medicine that can help relax you during the procedure and significantly reduce the feeling of anxiety; in fact, most patients will actually fall asleep during the procedure. For this option of oral sedation dentistry, you must have someone drive you to and from your appointment. Patients will generally fall asleep during the procedure.
• General Anesthesia:
  Patients receiving the deepest level of sedation are entirely unconscious and can’t be woken up until the medication wears off. To learn more about this solution, feel free to inquire with our knowledgeable team regarding anesthesia dentistry.

For deeper sedation options, we work with local dental anesthesiologists that will come to our office to aid in the procedure.

Most Common Types of Sedation for Endodontic Treatments

At Vertex Endodontics, we offer two levels of sedation that you can choose from:

• Nitrous Oxide:
  This sedation is commonly known as “laughing gas.” You breathe a combination of nitrous oxide and oxygen through a mask that is placed on your nose. This treatment helps you relax, and the doctor can control the amount of sedation you receive. The effects of this sedation wear off quickly, and many patients are able to drive themselves home after the treatment.
• Deeper Sedation:
  If you prefer deeper sedation during your appointment, we can provide these services in our office near you. We have a dental anesthesiologist who works with our endodontics team to support patients who require more intensive sedation services.

If you want sedation during your appointment, reach out to our team to learn more about available services provided by our highly educated sedation endodontists that can be used while you are in the dental chair. We encourage you to schedule a consultation with our local office in your area to learn about the available treatments for you!