Sedation Dentistry
A visit to the dentist can be dreadful for some patients. Even though you may have complete confidence in Dr. Rupenthal and our team, dental anxiety can trump any feeling of trust and can leave you feeling uneasy. If your worries and woes are through the roof, we have a solution to help make your visit to the dentist more pleasant and productive. Avoiding the dentist is never the answer, so come on in and we’ll help to keep you calm and comfortable.
Sedation dentistry is available for our high-anxiety patients. Benefits include:
- Relaxation/calmness
- Makes long procedures more tolerable
- We can get more work done during a single visit
- Less discomfort after treatment
Pills for anti-anxiety
Medications which intercept the “fear” receptors in the brain are best for decreasing or eliminating anxiety. Most belong to the “benzodiazepine” family of drugs. Dr. Rupenthal may prescribe one of the following benzodiazepine medications - Xanax, Valium, Ativan, Halcion.
Benzodiazepines come in two forms - Sedative-Hypnotics and Anti-Anxiety. The sedative-hypnotics will make you calmer, drowsy, and may cause you to fall asleep during your procedure. The anti-anxiety types will make you feel more calm and relaxed but you will remain awake and alert.
Precautions
These drugs are also known as Central Nervous System (CNS) depressants. Breathing can decline and blood pressure could fall. You should never take these substances with alcohol. It is also important to only take the recommended dose prescribed by your doctor. Overdose can lead to severe breathing problems, coma, or even death. Do not drive while taking these drugs. It is important to have transportation arranged before your procedure.
Before taking any sedation dentistry medications…
Check for allergies to the drug prescribed by consulting with your primary doctor. Let us know if you are allergic, have narrow-angle glaucoma, COPD, congestive heart failure, depression, chronic bronchitis, if you are pregnant or are planning to be, or have any other medical conditions of concern. It is also important to let us know if you are currently taking any other medication so that we can check for dangerous drug interactions before we prescribe.
With the aid of sedation dentistry, your fears will diminish and your visit will be much more bearable. We aim to provide you with peace during any procedure. If you have any questions, or want to learn more about your sedation options, contact us today at (317) 350-1867.