Sedation Dentistry
in Katy, TX
Due to the nature of some dental treatments, sedation is required during dental treatments. However, sedation dentistry also allows patients who get nervous while visiting the dentist to relax during treatment. There are a number of options in sedation dentistry. They range from mild sedation to general anesthetic.
Compounded Topical Anesthetics
If you have a history of avoiding the dentist or missing Dental appointments due to anxiety about needles, we use prescription-strength topical anesthetic gel, which is way stronger than regular topical anesthetics (gel) used by most Dental offices. Over the years, Dr. Judge has developed a protocol that, along with warm anesthetics, makes most injections almost painless.
IV Sedation Dentistry
With certain dental treatments or patients, deeper conscious sedation is recommended. IV sedation uses sedation medications that are intravenously delivered to quickly put you into a relaxed state. Although you will be awake and able to answer the dental team when questioned, you will mostly be unaware of the sounds, smells and sites around you. Many patients remember little or nothing of their treatment by the next day.
IV sedation is used for a variety of reasons, either on request of the patient or recommendation of the dentist. If you have a high level of dental anxiety or a severe gag reflex, IV sedation can allow you to obtain the dental treatments you need without stress or fear. Other reasons that IV sedation may be suggested or commonly used include:
- Wisdom teeth removal
- Dental implant surgery
- Tooth Extractions
- Root Canal Therapy
- Time-consuming dental treatments
- Or for any dental procedure if you are anxious to get dental treatment done!
Cost of IV sedation
Cost of IV sedation usually starts at $150-250/15-mins of time increment. Your PPO insurance may or may not pay portion of this.
Very few dentists have extensive extra training after dental school to do IV sedation dentistry and it does requires very extensive monitoring and documentation for your safety to comply with Texas state regulations, hence it costs higher than other forms of dental sedation.
Nitrous Oxide
Most people know Nitrous oxide by its more common name, laughing gas. This sedation is so named due to patients experiencing fits of laughter under sedation. Nitrous oxide help you to relax during dental treatment however it is lighter form of sedation than IV sedation.
Nitrous oxide is carefully monitored to ensure you are receiving the correct level of sedation. After your treatment, the effects of the gas will wear off quickly. However, it is important to wait some time before attempting to drive or operate machinery.
Cost of Nitrous
Cost of Nitrous can range from $169-$150 depending on length of procedure. Your PPO insurance may or may not pay for this depending on your employer’s agreement with insurance company.
If you feel that sedation dentistry will help you address your fear of the dentist’s chair, contact Woodcreek Family Dentistry today. We can provide you with more information on the sedation dentistry options we offer and help you decide which is best for you.
