A trained sedation dentist can offer a variety of options to address your situation:

• Minimal sedation in the form of nitrous oxide allows you to be awake but relaxed during dental treatment and may be a good option for cleanings, routine examinations, or minor procedures. Your dentist is able to control the amount of sedation you receive.
• Oral conscious sedation also allows you to remain awake during procedures, but may cause you to feel drowsy and will keep you from having much memory of the treatment. A stronger dose can be given to produce more moderate sedation, in which case you may fall asleep but can easily be awakened.
• IV sedation is when a sedative drug is administered through a vein. This type of sedation works rapidly and also allows your dental professional to adjust the level of sedation during treatment.
• General anesthesia provides deep sedation through medications administered that cause nearly complete or total unconsciousness. With general anesthesia you cannot be awakened until the effects of the drugs have dissipated.

Sedation dentistry can be used for any type of dental procedure, from routine cleanings to more complicated, invasive procedures. Thanks to advances in sedation dentistry, you no longer have to fear the dentist and avoid necessary oral health care.

Our dental office is located in Ottawa

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Here are some techniques many patients use to manage their fear and successfully get through dental appointments:

1. Using internal resources – Encouraging yourself that you can manage the situation, even if you’re nervous.
2. Prayer – Turning to a higher power for strength during the procedure.
3. Self-distraction – Engaging in activities like singing or playing mental games to keep your focus off the treatment.
4. Distancing – Convincing yourself that any discomfort is temporary and imagining it as something else, like numbness.
5. Optimism – Focusing on the positive aspects and reminding yourself of what comes after the appointment.

Interestingly, optimism is often one of the key strategies in overcoming dental fear. Patients who use this mindset tend to visit the dentist more regularly and report lower levels of anxiety. Additionally, humor has been found to be an excellent way to reduce stress during dental visits. A lighthearted atmosphere can break down psychological barriers and make patients feel more comfortable with their dentist and the dental team.

However, if these methods don’t work for you, sedation dentistry may be a viable option to consider. At [practiceName], we offer a range of sedation options tailored to help you feel relaxed and at ease during your treatment.

Whatever strategy you choose to help you manage dental anxiety, the most important thing is to continue to prioritize your oral health by returning for regular visits. Consistent dental care is essential to maintaining optimal dental health.

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• Dental sedation can be used for essentially all regular dental procedures. Under sedation, your dentist can accomplish far more in one appointment, meaning less overall time for you in the dental chair. Procedures that may normally take 2 or 3 visits to the dentist can be completed all in one visit with the help of dental sedation.
• Normally, dentists do not like to work on both sides of the mouth at the same time as this requires anesthesia to each side and could cause the patient to bite their tongue. Sedation dentistry allows your dentist to work on both sides of the mouth in one sitting.

• Dental sedation allows you to feel relaxed and free from stress while the actual procedure is being performed. In many cases, even though you are still conscious, you will not remember any of the actual time you spent in the dentist chair.

With sedation dentistry, there is no need to dread dental treatments and procedures. Your fears and anxiety should not deter you from seeking the cosmetic or restorative dental care that you desire. Consult with your dental professional about the options offered for sedation, and schedule your oral care with the confidence that you will have a calm and pleasant experience while improving your smile.

Our dental office is located in Ottawa

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Oral sedation involves swallowing pills or liquids. There are no shots, which is good news for patients afraid of needles. However, oral sedatives are less predictable because each medication affects people differently based on age, weight, medical history, and more. Also, there is a time delay between swallowing it and taking effect. Since the medication is absorbed through digestion, it is difficult to alter the sedation level quickly during treatment. Nearly all patients respond well to oral sedation, with few occurrences of any side effects. Patients typically don’t remember anything that occurred during treatment.

IV sedation means that the medication goes directly into the blood stream though an IV injection. A very powerful method, the effects are instant once the shot is given. If the medication begins to wear off, more can be administered through the IV for immediate results. IV sedation is very common during oral surgeries, which benefit from the ability to alter the medication dosage as needed. It is advantageous for long procedures or when multiple treatments are being done in one sitting. Patients will not remember the procedure or sometimes even the appointment at all. The biggest drawback of IV sedation is for patients who dislike needles. IV sedation requires that the dentist have special training and certification, so make sure that your dentist is qualified if this method is offered.

Both types of sedation can be effective depending on the situation and patient. Discuss your case with your dentist to help you decide which one might be the best for you.

If you live in the Ottawa area contact us today

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Sedation dentistry is a safe and commonly utilized option for dental patients to help them relax and undergo dental procedures without fear or apprehension. Your sedation dentist can offer a variety of sedation choices, and will likely suggest the option they feel best suits your needs.

Conscious sedation allows you to remain fully awake and able to respond to commands while enjoying a comfortable and relaxed state. Some of the options for conscious sedation include:

• Nitrous oxide, or “laughing gas”, leaves you feeling relaxed but responsive during dental procedures.
• Oral sedatives can be taken about an hour before dental treatment and provide their calming effects before and during your dental appointment.
• Intravenous sedation is administered through an IV and takes effect faster than oral medication. Your level of IV sedation is carefully monitored by your dentist and can be adjusted as needed.

Dental sedation allows you to undergo procedures as routine as a regular cleaning to more involved treatments like root canal therapy without anxiety and fear. You will remain awake but relaxed, and have little or no memory of your procedure. Consult with Ottawa sedation dentist Dr. Dzajkovski to find out more about how sedation dentistry can ease your fear of the dental chair and allow you to get the dental care you need.

We treat patients from Ottawa and the surrounding area

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While single doses of oral sedatives such as Valium or Halcion are unlikely to harm a patient, there are concerns regarding multiple doses of these drugs that could potentially cause a patient to be overly sedated, or even completely unconscious. Because each patient has a different metabolism, drugs can take between twenty minutes and an hour to become fully effective.

These time-delay issues are not problematic for inhaled sedation or for IV sedation, as these types of sedation dentistry are effective almost instantaneously. For oral sedation, however, a dentist who administers more than one pill could cause an overdose if the medicine kicks in at the same time. Most dentists lack both the equipment and the training to effectively and quickly address an overdose in a patient who is unconscious.

In 2000, a group known as the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation was launched. Its purpose is to train dentists on sedation dentistry methods such as how to properly monitor a patient during a dental procedure to ensure that their heart rates and oxygen levels are healthy. Despite this, there are still concerns about adverse effects of adults with oral conscious sedation. There have been no reported adult deaths from overdosing; however, some children have died from oral sedation, leading to the practice being recommended only for adults.

If you are about to undergo a prolonged dental procedure, or if you are considering sedation dentistry to address personal anxiety or a dental phobia, look for a dentist who has received training in sedation dentistry and has high levels of experience to ensure that your procedure is as safe and comfortable as possible.

If you live in the Ottawa area contact us today

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These are some techniques that many patients use that enable them to get through their dental appointments successfully:

• Using internal resources – telling yourself you can do it even though you are nervous
• Prayer – relying on a higher power to help you through the treatment
• Self distraction – singing to yourself or playing mental games to keep your mind off of what’s happening
• Distancing – convincing yourself that any pain feels like something else, such as numbness
• Optimism – focusing on what’s ahead after your appointment is over

In fact, optimism seems to be one of the biggest keys to overcoming your dental fears. Patients who use this method have been shown to visit the dentist more regularly than other patients who suffer from anxiety about dental treatment. Studies also reveal that humor is another important part of dealing with dental visits. Humor can break down psychological barriers, and allow the patient to feel more comfortable in their interactions with the dentist and staff. An atmosphere of humor tends to reduce stress and increase a sense of well-being and satisfaction in a potentially nervous situation.

However, if none of these techniques work for you, sedation dentistry is a option to consider. At  PermaSmile! we offer a variety of sedation options.

Whatever methods you implement to help you through your dental visit, the most important thing is sticking with it and returning again for your next visit. Your dental health is dependant upon regular dentist’s care.

Dentist in Ottawa for patients with dental phobias.

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• Patients experiencing anxiety and fear or a dental phobia
• Patients possessing an acute gag reflex
• Patients who have special needs
• Patients with physical issues that affect movement
• Anxious or fearful pediatric patients

Dental professionals want a patient to be as stress-free as possible immediately prior to and during a dental visit. Relieving anxiety and fear can turn an unpleasant, stressful experience into a comfortable visit, resulting in a desire to continue dental health and hygiene by returning for regular examinations and procedures.

An acute gag reflex can leave a patient concerned about vomiting during a dental procedure; in fact, many procedures such as taking impressions or working on the back teeth may be impossible. Sedation dentistry helps patients greatly reduce this gag reflex issue, as it is often exacerbated by anxiety and fear.

Patients who have special needs related to autism, Down Syndrome, or a mental or emotional problem may have real difficulty during dental visits. Other patients may deal with physical conditions such as cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, or other disorders of the central nervous system. Patients in this group may have difficulty following instructions or remaining still. Sedation dentistry solves issues of involuntary muscle movements, allowing the dentist to safely and quickly complete treatment.

Fearful children can be problematic for dentists. Children who cannot be still, comply with instructions, or stop crying can cause time-consuming safety issues. Sedation dentistry allows a dentist to perform treatments without physical restraints that could cause emotional trauma to the child, leading to adult dental phobias and fears.

Visiting the dentist and caring for your dental health should be comfortable. Contact our dental office to see what can be done to make your visit as stress-free as possible using sedation dentistry in Ottawa.

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Nitrous oxide is typically used when patients experience mild to moderate anxiety or fear when seeing the dentist for treatment. The gentle sedative properties of this gas helps patients who are not in extreme panic, but simply need calming.

One appealing thing about nitrous oxide is that it is administered by inhaling it through a mask placed over the nose. There are no needles required, which is a great benefit to many nervous patients. Another plus is that patients remain awake and aware of the environment during treatment, but are no longer anxious or upset about what is happening.

Some additional benefits of nitrous oxide include:

• The sedation level may be adjusted at any time during treatment.
• Since the healthcare professionals have control over the nitrous oxide at all times, it is a very safe choices and nearly impossible to overdose.
• It works quickly, with the calming effects taking place in under three minutes of being administered.
• Lengthy or complicated dental procedures can be performed while the patient is content and often unaware of the time spend in the dental chair. This also increases the dentist’s ability to perform multiple procedures in one visit.
• Nitrous oxide is safe for patients with medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and epilepsy.

Sedation dentist in Ottawa

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Use this guide to give you some of the most important questions you might not have thought of or remembered to ask:

• What type of sedation will I be receiving?
• What risk factors – even rare ones – are associated with this type of sedation?
• How long will the treatment take, and during how much of that time will I be sedated?
• How will the sedation be administered?
• Who will give me the sedation and monitor it during my treatment?
• What safety measures do you have in place in case of any medical emergency?
• What would happen in the case of a cardiac emergency or a seizure?
• Who is trained in CPR and other life-saving skills?
• What kind of preparations do I need to make prior to my treatment?
• Should someone accompany me to be present during the treatment?
• How soon following treatment will I feel awake and alert?
• May I drive myself home afterward?
• What kind of pain can I expect after my treatment?
• How will I manage my discomfort?
• What kind of aftercare does my particular treatment require?
• What signs should I look for that would lead me to contact you for a follow-up?

Talk to Ottawa sedation dentist Dr. Dzajkovski to get the answers to questions like these and any others you may have prior to receiving sedation dentistry.

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