Alcan Family Dental offers two types of sedation dentistry.

1. Oral Sedation (Pill)
2. “Laughing Gas”, Inhalation Sedation

At Alcan Family Dental, we are pleased to announce we NOW offer IV Sedation.

Our sedation helps those who make feel anxious and need a way to relax during any of their procedures. Sedation is a great way to help those who need to feel completely at ease.

Many people associate sedation dentistry with being “put to sleep”. However, this is not always the case. There are many different types of sedation and each has its own unique effects. The three most common types of sedation are: inhalation sedation, oral sedation, and intravenous sedation.

• Inhalation sedation – involves breathing in a gas usually called laughing gas, as it is more commonly known. This gas induces a happy state. It may also make you feel light-headed and giggly. The gas works very quickly, reaching your brain in as little as 20 seconds and inducing relaxation and providing pain relief in two to three minutes. The depth and duration of your sedation can be controlled by your dentist and there are no after effects. Since the gas is removed from your body quickly, it’s usually safe for you to drive yourself home following your dental appointment. Inhalation sedation is popular as it doesn’t involve the use of injections or pills. If you require this type of sedation, please let us know.
• Oral sedation – involves taking an anti-anxiety pill. Such a pill will relieve your anxiety in the hours before your dental appointment. You may be advised not to drive following taking an anti-anxiety pill and this means you’ll probably need an escort to your dental appointment. It’s easy to feel disorientated, drowsy and forgetful following taking anti-anxiety pills so you may not be able to return to work the same day as using these drugs. In some instances, you may be prescribed a sedation pill as a pre-medication before undergoing intravenous sedation.
• Intravenous (IV) sedation – involves an anti-anxiety drug being injected into your bloodstream using a thin needle. The onset of IV sedation is very quick and drug dosages can be tailored to your individual requirements. Furthermore, the level of sedation able to be reached with IV sedation is deeper than that able to be achieved through the use of inhalation and oral sedation. Following the use of IV sedation, you’ll remain in a conscious state and will be able to respond to the requests of your dentist. However, you’ll be unlikely to remember precisely what went on during the procedure and won’t be able to drive following being given the drug. This is because this form of sedation produces a deep state of relaxation and can cause some partial memory loss.

Should You Choose IV Sedation?

If you believe sedation could help you to feel more at ease while undergoing dental treatments, you’ll want to let one of our office staff know. We strongly believe in offering a choice of sedation options so that you’re able to weigh up the pros and cons of each method and benefit from the best form of sedation for your physical and psychological needs. Once you’ve received the sedation drug of your choosing, we’ll work hard to ensure that you receive your desired level of relaxation before treatment is started.

If you’re feeling nervous about undergoing dental treatment, don’t delay your treatment. Contact us today to discuss your fears or concerns. We will take the listen to your concerns and do our best to help ease your anxiety so that you are able to feel at ease receiving the treatment you need.

Contact us today at (907) 312-5315 and talk to us about our sedation dentistry services.