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At Lighthouse Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, we’re passionate about delivering clinically excellent care and a tranquil experience. Sedation dentistry in Memorial, Houston, TX, and Medical Center, Houston, TX, provides a relaxing and calming experience, whether you have dental anxiety/phobia, a strong gag reflex, or you’re seeking gentle care for a family member with special needs.
Sedation dentistry enables our oral and maxillofacial surgeons to perform complex procedures that require lengthy time in the dental chair, as well as more comfortable facial rejuvenation procedures. If you’re looking for sedation anesthesia near you, our oral surgeons have unique training, certifications, and medical expertise to safely administer all dental anesthesia.
If dental anxiety is preventing you from getting the dental care you need, you’ll benefit from receiving some type of sedation. We highly recommend sedation dentistry for any of the following issues:
Local anesthesia is a safe and effective way of managing pain during oral surgery and dental procedures. Sometimes, a topical anesthetic is used to numb an area before injecting the local anesthetic into your gum tissue or cheek.
Medications such as Lidocaine, articaine, prilocaine, mepivacaine, and bupivacaine work by numbing the treated area and blocking nerves that sense or transmit pain. Block injections cover an entire region in your mouth, such as the entire right side of your top jaw. In contrast, infiltration injections are limited to the surrounding area where the injection was applied.
Nitrous oxide, commonly called laughing gas, is a mild sedative agent that safely and effectively eases pain and anxiety during dental treatment. It involves inhaling colorless and odorless nitrous oxide mixed with oxygen through a small mask that fits over your nose.
Within a few minutes, nitrous oxide slows down your nervous system, making you feel less inhibited. While you may feel lightheaded or tingly, experience heaviness in your arms or legs, or even giggle, the relaxation effects wear off quickly when you breathe in pure oxygen. With little to no lingering side effects, you can drive yourself home.
This type of sedative dentistry is taken as a pill about an hour before your appointment. We may also prescribe a pill the night before to alleviate worrying about your procedure. Oral sedatives called benzodiazepines (e.g., Valium, Halcion, and Xanax) decrease activity in the parts of your brain that control fear and anxiety.
The result is a highly relaxed and calm mood that enables our oral surgeons to perform your procedure safely and effectively. Due to medication sedative effects, a responsible adult must drive you to and from our office.
IV sedation is safe, highly customizable, and an ideal option if you have moderate to severe dental anxiety or are undergoing complex procedures like full mouth dental implants. With IV sedation, sedative medications are administered directly into your bloodstream through an IV placed in your hand or arm. During your procedure, we monitor your heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen levels and can adjust the dosage at any point or even reverse it.
The amnesic effects of the drug make you forget the procedure, which provides an excellent benefit if you have dental anxiety. Following IV sedation at Memorial, Houston, TX, or Medical Center, Houston, TX, lingering side effects can impact your motor and cognitive skills for up to a full day. As such, you must arrange a ride home and shouldn’t drive a vehicle or operate any machinery for 24 hours after receiving this type of dental anesthesia.
General anesthesia is a drug-induced loss of consciousness during which you can’t be aroused. This type of dental anesthesia slows down your cardiovascular and respiratory systems. General anesthesia is more commonly used to facilitate dental treatment in patients undergoing complex jaw surgery or those with special needs at Medical Center, Houston, TX, our hospital-based practice setting.
Our oral surgeons perform a thorough preoperative assessment and ensure you know the benefits and potential risks when performing procedures under general anesthesia. We provide you with pre- and post-surgical instructions to ensure the safe administration of general anesthesia. Your breathing, heart rate, and other vital signs are closely monitored during your procedure and recovery.
Delaying or avoiding dental care can lead to many oral health problems, including cavities, gum disease, infections, and tooth loss. In addition, postponing treatment can exacerbate existing conditions and necessitate more extensive and invasive procedures.
Poor oral health resulting from dental anxiety can have broader implications on your overall health because gum disease is associated with systemic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and respiratory infections. We never want to see dental anxiety prevent you from getting the professional oral surgery you need. Dental anesthesia in Memorial, Houston, TX, and Medical Center, Houston, TX, administered by our highly qualified oral surgeons, can protect your mouth and well-being!
