Dental anxiety can lead many people to draw up a list of excuses to cancel or miss their dental appointments. Whether it’s a bad past experience, fear of the unknown work that may be needed, or assuming that treatment will be uncomfortable, there can be multiple reasons that dental anxiety exists. The good news is there’s a proven way to receive the care you want or need while remaining relaxed throughout

At Nashville Restorative Dentistry, we understand that every patient is unique. We offer multiple options of sedation dentistry to help patients with dental fear have a safe, relaxed, and comfortable dental experience. Want to try sedation dentistry in Franklin, Tennessee?  Please book an appointment with Dr. Ryan Jones and Dr. Caleb Estes today.

Our sedation dentistry options

We don’t offer a one-size-fits-all solution for anxiety management. We have several sedation options to match your anxiety level and current health condition. Nashville Restorative Dentistry offers our patients the following sedation dentistry options:

Nitrous oxide

This treatment, commonly referred to as laughing gas, involves inhaling a mixture of pure oxygen and nitrous oxide through a small mask that covers your nose. Once you begin breathing laughing gas, the effects are typically quickly felt, helping you feel calm and relaxed while still awake. The sedation effects of laughing gas also wear off quickly once you begin breathing pure oxygen again. The major benefit of this sedation option is that you don’t have to make any transportation arrangements in and out of our office and are safe to drive yourself to and from the dental appointment. Another benefit of laughing gas is that it’s suitable for patients of all ages, including children. Nitrous oxide is an ideal option for our littlest patients to help them safely receive the stress-free dental care they need.

Oral conscious sedation

For patients with mild to moderate dental anxiety, Dr. Jones and Dr. Estes frequently utilize a sedation method called oral conscious sedation.  This type of sedation involves the use of sedative pills, like Valium, which are prescribed to be taken the night before your appointment as well as before and during your appointment as needed. This type of sedation gives you deeper relaxation than laughing gas while keeping all your protective reflexes and ability to communicate intact throughout the appointment. Most patients will drift off to sleep during the treatment. Another wonderful benefit of oral conscious sedation is the amnesic effect created by the medication. After the appointment, you will remember very little, if anything, about your time in the dental chair or the procedure length and details. This allows you to comfortably complete lengthy procedures or finish a large amount of work in one long appointment without realizing the passage of time. It is important to note that this sedation route will require a caregiver to drive you to and from your dental appointment.

General anesthesia

When a deeper and more controlled level of sedation is required, sometimes by very young children, those with disabilities, or very high levels of anxiety, we can provide in-house general anesthesia. If this is the right sedation option for you, our dental anesthesiologist specialist will come into our office to provide general anesthesia and professional monitoring throughout the procedure. This importantly bypasses the cost and inconvenience of having the procedure done in a hospital.  Just as with the other forms of sedation, general anesthesia will require a caregiver to transport and care for you on the day of your appointment. 

If you experience dental anxiety, you are probably familiar with the temptation to avoid making or keeping a dental appointment. When this happens, your dental health may be compromised which can result in the need for more invasive and costly restorative treatments. Fortunately, sedation dentistry can help you reduce these barriers to care and allow you to comfortably receive needed dental care once more. The benefits of sedation dentistry include:

• Proven safety
• Reduced anxiety and blood pressure
• Versatility to suit different patient needs
• Reduction in pain and postoperative discomfort
• Accomplish more dental work in fewer appointments

Conscious Sedation Dentist Near Me in Franklin, Tennessee

Don’t let dental fear or anxiety take control of your life or prevent you from pursuing the care you want and deserve. At our office in Franklin, TN just south of Nashville we see patients from all over Tennessee and the surrounding states. Please call us at (615) 640-8494 to book an appointment with Nashville Restorative Dentistry for sedation dentistry. We look forward to the opportunity to care for you and restore your ability to get the dental care you deserve.

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