Can a Dentist Put You to Sleep for Deep Cleaning?

Are you one of the millions of people who dread going to the dentist? Even if it’s just for a cleaning, countless people the world over have an innate fear of the sounds, sights, and sensations of dental work. Most of us wish we could show up at the dentist and then “fast-forward” until it’s over – reaping the benefits of proper dental care without the experience. The question is – is it possible? The answer is yes.

Types of sedation

While many people have an aversion to full sedation (being “put under”), there are several other types and levels of sedation that create a similar effect without a total loss of consciousness, as well as other actions that can be done to get your attention off the dental work that’s happening. Some examples of this are:

• Nitrous Oxide: Nitrous oxide is a colorless, odorless gas that calms you and puts you in a state where you are unaffected by what’s happening around you, but done correctly still allows you to retain awareness of what’s happening. Once the procedure is complete, inhaling pure oxygen reverses these effects in about two minutes. You will even be able to drive yourself home!
• Oral Conscious Sedation: Commonly prescribed anti-anxiety medication can be effective at causing deep relaxation without a loss of consciousness; however, if you do this, you need to have a ride home – this will cause you to be too relaxed to drive!
• Distractions: Another effective way to help “fast-forward” dental work is to be distracted, which can be achieved with noise-canceling headphones and music, TV, hand massages, and other similar activities that keep your attention on pleasure and off the unpleasantness.

Atlanta Pain-Free Dentist

While most dentists only offer sedation for major surgeries, at the Atlanta Center for Cosmetic Dentistry, we offer pain-free sedation servicesfor all of our dental work. Depending on your personal preference and a comprehensive review of your medical history and reactions to medication, we will give you the level of sedation and distraction that you need to have – believe it or not – a pleasant experience at the dentist! We have TVs on the ceilings of all of our operating stations, offer noise-canceling headphones, massages and any level of sedation that you need to “fast-forward” your dental experience and come out the other side with clean, restored, repaired or otherwise treated teeth!