Anesthetic and sedation options are available to prevent you from feeling pain and discomfort during your dental procedure. There are several methods available and several may be combined to give you complete coverage. The type of sedation or anesthesia used will depend on your personalized treatment plan, your personal needs and the expert opinion of your dentist or specialist.

Types of Sedation

The different kinds of sedation available can be summed up into three major groups. We can temporarily numb the small area receiving the work, You can be sedated so you are still awake but completely relaxed, or you can sleep through your procedure with general anesthesia. Here’s some more information about each group:

Local Freezing

Everyone is familiar with this reliable standard. We patiently numb the area and then carefully inject a local anesthetic to put a small area of your mouth to sleep. You may feel pressure but will not feel pain.

Sedation

Using prescription medication, laughing gas or administered through an IV, with light to moderate sedation you will be completely conscious but totally relaxed. This method of sedation is often used along with local freezing.

Sleep dentistry

General anesthesia or deep sedation will make you very nearly or completely unconscious. Patients who remain awake often report not remembering a thing. You will remain relaxed and drowsy well after you wake up and will need someone to drive you home and stay with you.