IV Sedation Dentistry
How Does Sedation Work?
Click play to learn more about a type of sedation dentistry at LifeSmiles
The latest technology makes dentistry gentler and easier than ever. However, many people are still anxious about going to the dentist. There are a lot of reasons for this, including bad dental experiences in the past, fear of needles, and a general distrust of dentists. With good Houston sedation dentistry, you will be able to enjoy a relaxing visit with minimal if any pain or discomfort. In fact, you can choose to fall asleep and end up with little or no memory of having dental work done at all.
If appropriate, we can provide you with a prescription medication an hour before your appointment, which will relax you by the time you arrive at LifeSmiles in Houston, Texas. Because you will be sedated, you will need someone to drive you to and from the appointment. When visiting the dentist we will seat you in a chair made comfortable with things like warm blankets, booties for your feet, and memory foam pillows for your neck, back, and knees. We will even provide sunglasses and noise-cancelling headphones to block out the bright lights and procedural sounds.
IV Sedation
Dr. Mitchmore is one of very few prestigious dentists licensed and trained to administer sedation both with pills and through deeper IV sedation.
Deep sedation is administered through an IV, which transports a sedative directly into your bloodstream. The IV mechanism, unlike pills, can be controlled very precisely, allowing Dr. Mitchmore to induce a light, moderate, or deep level of relaxation in minutes.
IV-administered sedation can produce a state of relaxation in which most patients are completely unaware of the dentistry being performed. Its safety comes from the fact that the IV sedatives can be given in small increments while your vital signs are being monitored, just like in a hospital with telemetry that measures your EKG, pulse, heart rate, oxygen level, and breathing.
Benefits of Sedation Dentistry
Who Can Benefit?
- High fear
- Needle phobias
- Previous bad dental experiences
- Difficulty getting numb
- Bad gag reflex
- Sensitive teeth
- Complex dental problems
- Limited time to complete their dental work
What Are the Benefits?
- A deeply relaxed state
- The opportunity to request deeper sedation if needed
- Safe monitoring of your vitals
- Virtually no memory of your visit
- A shortened perception of time during long appointments
- A superior sedation technique for people with very high fear
- Better pain control during the visit
- The administration of long-lasting medicines for pain control and inflammation reduction after the procedure
Not All Sedation Is the Same!
Some dentists use the terms conscious sedation, sleep dentistry, or snooze dentistry to mislead people into believing that they will be asleep during their dental appointment. The Texas Dental Board will only allow very few dentists to administer deep sedation. They must have extra-extensive, rigorous training and clinical experience to provide proof of their skills. Dr. Mitchmore was trained to administer deep sedation dental treatment at the exclusive and prestigious Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.
At LifeSmiles in Houston Texas, we offer light to deep sedation including general anesthesia when necessary. Intravenous sedation is safer and more predictable than oral sedation alone. Not only can the level of sedation be controlled much more accurately, the drugs can also be reversed if necessary. Trying to use oral sedation for deep effects is just not safe or practical. There are too many variables such as: what the patient has eaten, how quickly the drug passes through the stomach or intestines, and how quickly the person metabolizes the drugs.
For safety and by Texas state rules, a doctor using oral sedation is usually forced to err on the side of lighter sedation.
Sleep Through Your Dental Visit
LifeSmiles by Randy Mitchmore
- info@archive.lifesmiles.us
-
1722 West Alabama St
Houston, TX 77098
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