At Contemporary Implant and Oral Surgery, in addition to local anesthesia (numbing medicines), we offer three types of anesthesia to meet your surgical needs. These include nitrous oxide, oral conscious sedation, and intravenous sedation.
- Do you suffer from dental anxiety?
- Have you experienced stiff or sore muscles or joints following dental care?
- Do you need treatment that is likely to take an hour or longer to complete?
- Would you prefer to relax during your treatment?
If any of these apply to you, one of our anesthesia options may be an ideal solution for your needs.
Anesthesia is the use of medication designed to help your mind and body relax during dental treatment. The use of anesthesia to provide sedation helps ease anxiety, allows local anesthetics to be more effective, reduces the sensation of time passing, and helps prevent stiffness or soreness from extended sitting in one position.
Types of Sedation
Inhaled Sedation
Often referred to as “laughing gas,” nitrous oxide is a colorless, odorless gas and is inhaled through a nasal mask to produce a mild form of sedation prior to treatment. Nitrous oxide helps alleviate mild anxiety and increases the effectiveness of local anesthetics. This type of sedation is generally safe for patients of all ages. Nitrous oxide provides gentle relaxation and reduces discomfort.
Nitrous oxide is quickly and easily expelled from the body. When treatment is complete, pure oxygen will be used to flush the nitrous oxide, reversing the sedation effects of the nitrous oxide. Within minutes you will be fully alert.
Oral Sedation
An extremely common technique for dental sedation is oral sedation. It is easy and does not require the use of needles. You will be given a prescription pill which, taken about an hour before your appointment, will have you fully relaxed by the time you arrive at our office.
Intravenous Sedation
Intravenous (intra: inside, venous: vein), or IV, sedation can provide deep relaxation during your treatment. The sedative medication is delivered through a catheter placed in a vein of the arm or hand. Medications used by Dr. Phan for IV sedation are fast-acting and in general, the effects are immediate and dissipate fairly quickly. In-office recovery is not prolonged, but you may continue to feel tired or drowsy for several hours afterward. IV sedation is the anesthesia type most commonly requested for wisdom teeth removal and dental implant surgeries. IV sedation requires an empty stomach; therefore, you will need to be fasting. Like with oral conscious sedation, you will need someone to provide transportation.
Sedation at Contemporary Implant & Oral Surgery
Dr. Phan is licensed and certified to provide all options of anesthesia at our Plano oral surgery and implant office. He has completed extensive training including rotating as medical anesthesia residents during his residency training and is a member of the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology. Dr. Phan provides anesthesia for our patients multiple times daily and complete thousands of anesthesia cases per year.
Your safety is our highest priority throughout your treatment. All patients considering anesthesia receive a medical history review and pre-anesthesia assessment. So that we can determine the best sedation option for your needs, be sure to let us know of any allergies or medical conditions you have, and of any medications you are currently taking, whether prescription or over-the-counter.