If you’ve ever felt nervous prior to a dental appointment, please know that you are not alone. In fact, many people often avoid dental visits (even when they need them) because of a negative experience with a previous dentist. Westlake Hills Dental Arts recognizes these concerns, which is why we offer sedation dentistry at our dental office for your convenience. Call today to learn how we can make your visits a breeze, even if you have dental anxiety thanks to sedation dentistry in West Lake Hills, TX.
With fast-acting nitrous oxide, which is a gaseous substance that’s gently inhaled throughout your dental procedure, you can both get very comfortable in preparation for your care as well as leave the dental office on your own with ease. To inhale the sedative, you’ll be given a small nasal mask to wear during your appointment. The effects of nitrous oxide will make you feel warm, calm, and at peace, ensuring your most essential treatments can be performed. Afterward, we’ll remove the mask and within minutes, you’ll feel back to normal and ready to continue on with your day without any lingering effects.
Nitrous oxide is completely safe for patients of all ages. In fact, out of all of the dental sedation methods out there, nitrous oxide in Austin is considered the safest for the most people. However, before administering any medication, our sedation dentist will conduct a thorough evaluation of your medical, oral, and overall health history to make sure you’re a good candidate. Our trained staff will also monitor you throughout your treatment to ensure your safety.
Because the sedation medications could pass through the placenta, using sedation during the first trimester could cause developmental issues. As a result, we typically don’t provide nitrous oxide to patients who are pregnant.
Dental sedation doesn’t always put you to sleep, so it’s likely that you’ll remember bits and pieces of your appointment, but they’ll feel fuzzy when you try to recollect the sights, sounds, and other details of your visit.
Every dental insurance plan varies, but typically, they don’t cover sedation dentistry. However, if your plan is an exception, our team can help you maximize your coverage by filing any claims on your behalf if you have a PPO plan.
While it’s rare for patients to experience negative side-effects from nitrous oxide sedation, it is possible that you may feel nauseous afterwards. Because nitrous oxide isn’t an incredibly strong form of dental sedation though, it typically takes patients less than 30 minutes to feel back to their normal selves.
In some cases, nitrous oxide can make patients drowsy and cause them to drift off during their appointments, but it doesn’t always make you go to sleep. In some cases, you may find that your memories become a little fuzzy like you were asleep, but this is a natural effect of sedation dentistry in Austin.