Sedation Dentistry

We understand how important it is to help fearful patients receive the care they both need and want by first treating their anxiety and then their teeth. That is why we offer sedation dentistry to help you feel relaxed.

What is Sedation Dentistry?

Sedation dentistry is also called sleep dentistry. You will not actually be asleep, but when we provide you with sedation, you will feel sleepy, comfortable, and pain ­free during treatment.

Sedation is effective and extremely safe. Our team is specifically trained to offer you sedation and closely monitors your wellbeing during your dental treatment.

Dr. Kundel can provide you with the following types of sedation:

Local Anesthesia is most frequently applied. It is used to numb the area being worked on. It can be administered by injection. To make injection easy to tolerate, a topical anesthetic gel is applied first. Once the area is numb, it is injected with local anesthetic. Administering local anesthesia painlessly does not take much time. Dr. Kundel takes the time to do it carefully with almost no sensation to the patient. Depending on the type and amount, you may feel numb for as little as five minutes up to three hours after your treatment.

Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas) with nitrous oxide is placed through a small inhaler over your nose. At first, this provides pure oxygen for you to breath. After a few minutes, nitrous oxide is introduced into the oxygen flow. Most patients say that nitrous makes them feel light­headed and comfortably warm throughout the appointment. While we treat you, you will be completely conscious. Dr. Kundel and our team will ask you questions about how you feel, so we can adjust the flow of nitrous. At the end of the treatment, we will give you oxygen again. After the treatment, you would be able to leave our office feeling clearheaded.

Oral Sedation is used if a patient does not want to remember the visit, or if we need to perform lengthy treatment. Before your dental appointment, we prescribe a sedative. You should take this medication an hour before you come. Someone will need to accompany you to our office, as you will be very drowsy when you arrive. From there, we will escort you to your operatory and place you on a monitor to watch your vital signs. While you would not be completely unconscious, you probably would not realize when the appointment has started. Once complete, your companion can escort you home to relax.

Is sedation safe?

Yes, sedation is safe and works well. Before we give you any sedation; however, we need to discuss and consider your medical history. We will ask whether you or anyone in your family has had difficulty with sedation or anesthetics. We also want to know if you are pregnant, taking steroids, or any other medications, as certain drugs could interfere with sedation.

Who is a good candidate for sedation?

If you have had a past traumatic dental experience, difficulty becoming numb, a bad gag reflex, very sensitive teeth, or complex dental problems, sedation might be right for you. Sedation eliminates anxiety by helping patients stay calm and relaxed. Most patients have little to no memory of the dental procedure. If you need extensive or complex dental treatments, sedation may reduce the number of appointments necessary to accomplish your treatment plan. Finally, by helping patients decrease their overall anxiety, many patients do not need sedation during their next visit.

If I need treatment and want sedation, what happens during the initial visit?

When you schedule a visit with Dr. Kundel, we will first have you come to our practice for a consultation appointment. During this visit, Dr. Kundel will review your medical history, measure your vital signs, evaluate if you are a good candidate for sedation, and discuss the options you have to achieve the level of relaxation that will make your experience in the dental office more pleasant.