Sedation Dentistry

Many people avoid dental appointments out of fear, perhaps remembering unpleasant childhood experiences or worrying about pain and discomfort. Unfortunately, putting off dental care can lead to serious dental health issues down the road, as small problems can turn into large ones when not caught early. To help take the fear out of dental visits to Baldwin Dental Of Panama City, we offer safe and effective sedation dentistry options to all of our patients. With sedation dentistry, you can receive the dental care you need without suffering undue stress or anxiety. Our expertly trained staff will monitor you carefully during your appointment to ensure your safety while you breeze through your treatment without pain.

Are you a candidate for sedation dentistry?

While sedation may not be a good choice for every patient, most people who suffer from dental anxiety can be helped by sedation dentistry. Many patients from Panama City and Panama City Beach have successfully conquered their dental fears with the help of the Baldwin Dental of Panama City team. You may be a candidate for sedation dentistry if you have experienced any of the following:

• Dental anxiety
• Sensitive teeth
• Easily triggered gag reflex
• Fear of needles or other dental phobias
• Traumatic dental experiences in the past
• Difficulty controlling body movements
• Disabilities that interfere with dental care

Sedation dentistry can also allow patients who have limited time available in their schedules and are in need of extensive dental work such as Multiple Restorations, Extractions or to have several procedures performed in one visit. Before undergoing any sedation dentistry procedure, patients should always notify the dentist about any pre-existing medical conditions, current medications, or allergies, including previous allergic reactions to medication.

Baldwin Dental Offer two forms of Sedation, Oral Sedation and Inhalation Conscious Sedation.

Oral Sedation

This Oral Medication used for Oral Conscious Sedation in dentistry are from a group of drugs known as Benzodiazapines. Not only do these medications have a sedative effect they also have some degree of  amnesic effect for most people. Patients remember little or nothing about their dental appointment.

Advantages to Dental Oral Sedation:

• Easy to administer: Swallow a small pill
• It is safe and easy to monitor
• Works well for most people
• Low Cost

Disadvantages of Dental Oral Sedation:

• The level of Sedation is not easily changed
• Someone must drive you to and from your dental appointment
• There is no analgesic (pain relief effect)

What medications are used for Dental Oral Sedation?

• The most common medication is Halcion (triazolam). Halcion provides a deep level of relaxation and amnesia effect. 
• For children the most common medication is Versed
  (Medazolan) which is a liquid.

Inhalation Conscious Sedation

Nitrous Oxide and Oxygen (“laughing gas”) has been used as the most frequent and primary means of Sedation used in Dentistry for many years. 35% of all US dentists offer Nitrous Oxide Sedation to their patients.

Advantages or Dental Inhalation Sedation:

• Works well for mild to moderate anxiety
• Rapid Onset
• Flexible duration can be used for any appointment length
• Absolute Control. It is easy to quickly control the level of sedation which may be altered moment to moment.
• People recover quickly
• Very few side effects
• There is an analgesic effect
• You can drive yourself to and from your dental appointment
• You can return to normal activities immediately

Disadvantages of Dental Inhalation Sedation:

• Severe anxiety may require a deeper level of sedation
• Not indicated for people who have respiratory problems (Asthma and Emphysema)
• Claustrophobic patients do not like anything covering their nose
• What medications are used for Dental Inhalation Sedation?
• Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
• Oxygen (O2)

The safety features of the machine insure a patient receives no less than 30% Oxygen mixed with Nitrous Oxide. Usually the patient receives 50 to 70% Oxygen.