Sedation Dentistry in West Palm Beach

Sedation dentistry refers to a variety of techniques used to help patients relax and feel more comfortable during dental procedures. It is also described as medically induced relaxation. Sedation may be used for patients who are anxious, patients who are fearful, or for complex dental work that may be lengthy.

Sedation dentistry offers many benefits to patients:

• Feel more relaxed. If going to the dentist makes you anxious or nervous, sedation can help you feel more calm and relaxed.
• Reduce stress. Stress takes a toll on your body and mind. Sedation dentistry can relieve or even prevent you from feeling any stress regarding dental care.
• Procedure feels shorter. When under sedation you are less aware of the procedure and how much time passes, which can make your procedure seem much shorter.
• Less local anesthesia needed. Local anesthetic is still needed even though you are sedated. However sedation dentistry allows you to feel less anxiety and also not realize the anesthetic has been given. This allows the anesthetic to be more effective, resulting in a need for using smaller amounts of local anesthesia.
• Safe. Sedation is safe for most patients. For those patients that may be at risk, we refer to their primary care physician to ensure that it is safe for them to undergo sedation. In many cases sedation can make the procedure safer because you are able to relax and remain still in the dental chair.

We offer the following types of sedation:

• Nitrous Oxide. Often referred to as “laughing gas,” nitrous oxide is an odorless gas made up of nitrogen and oxygen that is inhaled through a mask placed over your nose. It provides a calming effect and even a euphoric feeling. You are completely awake and aware, but relaxed.
• Conscious Oral Sedation. An oral sedative can be prescribed in either pill or liquid form. You take the sedative before you arrive at the dental office so that it has time to take effect before your procedure. It provides a calming feeling that may even make you feel groggy, but you are still awake.
• IV Conscious Sedation. A medication is administered intravenously that relaxes you and provides a deeper level of sedation than nitrous oxide or an oral sedative. You are conscious enough to respond to questions and requests, even though you may not remember anything from the procedure.

Do you feel nervous or anxious about going to the dentist, whether for a routine cleaning and exam or a dental procedure of some kind? Sedation can be used for any type of dental care to manage or even eliminate anxiety. A good candidate for sedation dentistry is someone who is in good health and under the care of a primary care physician who can approve the use of sedatives in your case.

Dr. Senft has created a series of videos to help explain his approach to sedation, as well as several dental procedures. Click here to review the video library.