While Dr. Emmanuel Puddicombe prides himself on creating a comfortable environment for his patients at Family Dentistry of Lyons, he recognizes that some people have significant fears that may make dental care particularly challenging. To better help these patients relax, he offers sedation dentistry services.
Receiving regular dental care is important for your mouth. If you have anxiety that has caused you to postpone appointments or ignore ongoing tooth pain, you may benefit from sedation dentistry. Most dental problems will only get worse the longer they are neglected, so you are better off taking care of them sooner than later anyway.
Who Is a Candidate for Sedation Dentistry?
Sedation is a safe process that is suitable for most patients with significant fears about dental procedures. Dr. Puddicombe may also recommend it for children who have difficulty sitting still, patients who have sensitive teeth or a low pain tolerance, or people who are undergoing many hours of dental procedures in a single day.
If you are interested in using sedation during a dental procedure, please discuss this with Dr. Puddicombe during the consultation phase.
Forms of Sedation
Nitrous Oxide
Sometimes referred to as “laughing gas,” nitrous oxide is administered via a mask that goes over the nose. It takes mere moments of inhaling through the mask for a feeling of calmness to take over your body. Nitrous oxide will also help you to manage any pain associated with the dental procedure. Best of all, the effects are temporary, so you can drive yourself home with no problems once the appointment is complete.
Oral Conscious Sedation
For this type of sedation, you will take a small pill when you first arrive at the dental office. Once it takes effect, you will be able to rest comfortably in a conscious but super relaxed state. Before starting the procedure, Dr. Puddicombe will also provide some nitrous oxide. Once your procedure is complete, you will need to have a friend drive you home, and you should expect to rest for the remainder of the day while the oral sedative wears off.
IV Sedation
Here, sedative medicine is injected intravenously. Via this method, you will still be conscious enough to hear Dr. Puddicombe, but you will probably be unable to remember much about the procedure once it is complete. IV sedation will leave you in a state of deep relaxation, so it is important that you have a loved one get you home and watch you until you are fully conscious again. Because this form of sedation is more involved than the others, it is generally only recommended for patients who possess serious fears or are undergoing comprehensive procedures.
Make an Appointment with Dr. Puddicombe
Throughout his career, Dr. Puddicombe has helped many patients overcome their fear of visiting the dentist, allowing him to then restore the good health of their mouths. Dr. Puddicombe is happy to use sedation dentistry to ensure you are more comfortable with getting necessary dental work done. To discuss sedative techniques to keep your relaxed during your appointment, please call (315) 946-4656.
