Whether you have dental anxiety, a low pain threshold, or are simply nervous about an upcoming appointment, we have sedation options to keep you comfortable and pain-free. We can provide laughing gas or oral conscious sedation, if you feel it will make your visit more manageable and enjoyable. Dr. Cox offers a compassionate communicative approach to help patients feel at ease about treatment decisions. Call us today to discuss your options!
If you have very severe dental anxiety, or you are simply nervous about a major upcoming oral surgery like the placement of a dental implant or a tooth extraction, we do offer sedation. While we encourage you to explore your other options first, we are more than happy to sedate you for your appointment at our office.
We offer two primary types of sedation at our office. The first is laughing gas sedation. In this method of sedation, a comfortable nose mask is used to pump a mixture of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and oxygen into your lungs. The gas helps you relax and feel less anxious, and also helps inhibit pain and discomfort, allowing you to overcome your anxiety. It wears off within about 5 minutes, so you can quickly get back to your day-to-day routine.
The second method of sedation is oral conscious sedation. In this sedation method, you will take a pill containing a strong sedative, usually about an hour before your appointment. Once the sedative takes effect, you will feel extremely groggy and sleepy. It’s very common for patients to fall asleep during their appointments when they’re sedated.
You will not be unconscious, though. You will be able to respond to commands and you can be woken up, if necessary. However, it’s also very common for patients to forget most of what happened during their procedure after being sedated with oral conscious sedation.
Unlike laughing gas sedation, oral conscious sedation has after-effects that can last up to 4-6 hours. You should not go back to work and you cannot drive after treatment. To be treated with this method of sedation, will need to be released into the care of an adult who can drive you home after your procedure at Scarsdale Smiles.
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Sedation dentistry can help you overcome dental anxiety and get the care you need
Dr. Cox offers sedation to help with issues like fear of needles, a strong gag reflex, and anxiety
No matter what brings you into our office, we can provide sedation as long as you are healthy and meet certain criteria
As an experienced family dentist, Dr. Cox can provide sedation for patients of all ages
While we do offer options for dental sedation at Scarsdale Smiles, Dr. Alex Cox believes that every patient can be treated without sedation, no matter how anxious they may be about receiving dental care.
We do this by providing dentistry with a personal touch. If you have anxiety about the dentist, you can schedule a consultation with Dr. Alex Cox to discuss the sources of your anxiety, trouble you’ve had with dentists in the past, and more.
Avoiding sedation means your procedure will take less time, and will be less complex and less expensive. By learning more about your dental anxiety and what common “triggers” cause you to feel anxious at the dentist, Dr. Alex Cox can develop a custom treatment plan, and often provide you with the care you need without any sedation.
For example, if you dislike the sound of dental drills and they cause you to feel scared and panicked, you can wear headphones and listen to your favorite music. Or, if you dislike the feeling of not being in control in the dentist’s chair, Dr. Cox can ask for your approval before performing each step of your dental procedure, allowing you to regain that sense of control.
Each patient is different, and what works for someone else’s anxiety may not work for yours. That’s why we always encourage our patients to schedule a consultation at our office with Dr. Cox, and learn more about strategies that can be used to overcome anxiety without sedation.
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