Sedation Dentistry
In Mesa AZ

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Dental care is an important component of your overall health. Just like visits to your family physician, your routine dental appointments are an important way of preventing and detecting problems. If dental phobia prevents you from going to the dentist, then you may be a good candidate for sedation dentistry. To learn more or to book a personalized consult with one of our top dentists, please call 480.834.6991 today!

What Is Sedation Dentistry?

Sedation dentistry allows you to be completely at ease during your dental visit. Even if you have a large amount of dental work to be done, you’ll be calm and stress-free. Your dental visit will fly by, and be over before you know it.

To reduce your tension and anxiety, you’ll receive one of the following:

  • Oral Sedation, various sedative medications can be used together to achieve a gradual and safe level of sedation, higher than a single pill.
  • Nitrous Oxide, also known as “laughing gas” while you’re in the dentist’s chair.
  • IV Sedation, also known as sleep dentistry and performed out of office.
  • NuCalm, a drug-free relaxation system

Oral sedation and nitrous oxide are methods that are extremely effective and safe. With oral sedation and nitrous oxide, you will remain fully conscious in a calm, relaxed state, unaware of the events taking place and no remembrance of the events that occurred. This is the main point of difference between these sedation methods and IV sedation, also known as sleep dentistry. If you require a sedative, you’ll want to arrange to have a ride home, as it will take a few hours to wear off. Nitrous oxide, on the other hand, wears off much more quickly.

In addition to offering sedation dentistry for patients who prefer it, Drs of Smiles offers amenities to make your visit as pleasant and comfortable as possible.

Sedation Dentistry Patient Testimonial

Patrick Van Den Berg- Jun 2017
“Had a great experience here last week. Dr. Dodaro and his assistant took such great care of me as I have major anxiety when going to the dentist. I had to have a molar extraced and they made an unpleasant situation into a comfortable and pain free experience. I will highly recommend this place, and continue going here moving forward for all my dental needs. Thank you Dr. Dodaro to you and your entire team for making me feel comfortable and showing great care.” - Best Regards, Patrick

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What Is Oral Sedation?

Oral sedation is the most common method used in sedation dentistry. It ranges from minimal to moderate sedation and is administered in pill form. When only minimal sedation is required, the patient is typically given a Halcion tablet, a medication similar to Valium, which takes full effect in approximately one hour. Once the pill takes effect, the patient becomes drowsy but is still awake for the surgery. When a slightly greater degree of sedation is required, the patient is administered a somewhat larger, or moderate, dose of the medication.

With the moderate dose of this medication, most patients remain fully asleep, although they can be awakened with minimal effort. Children are sometimes given a mild dose of oral medication which is carefully administered according to the child’s age and weight.

Nitrous Oxide Dental Use

One way of administering sedation is by having the patient breathe in nitrous oxide, also known as “laughing gas”, through a mask placed over the nose. Although the nitrous oxide will definitely put the patient into a relaxed state, the gas wears off quickly. For this reason, adult patients who have been treated with nitrous oxide are able to drive themselves home from the procedure. Nitrous oxide is sometimes used as a safe alternative for children who are phobic or uncooperative about dental treatment. Patients under minimal sedation are groggy and slur their speech, but can be easily roused.

IV Sedation Dentistry

Intravenous (IV) sedation is a form of moderate sedation that helps establish a relaxed, calm state and allows patients to undergo even the most complex dental procedures free of anxiety. Sedative medication is injected directly into the bloodstream through the arm, helping a patient to fall asleep during treatment. This form of sedation is not performed at our office, but we do refer out to specialists. IV sedation is safe and effective for most patients and is most often used for shorter dental procedures because it produces almost instantaneous results. If a deeper level of sedation is needed, additional medication can be administered. A patient will need to be driven home after receiving IV sedation and should avoid driving for the rest of the day. Mild nausea may be a problem post-sedation but usually passes quickly.

What Is Nucalm?

NuCalm is a newer offering at our practice that provides a deep level of relaxation without the use of drugs. NuCalm is a four-step treatment process to provide a fully immersive experience and ease any stress or anxiety you are feeling. First, you will be provided with a dietary supplement that counteracts the adrenaline in your body. This provides your body with all-natural ingredients needed to relax. Once you have taken the dietary supplement, our doctors will place stimulation patches behind your ears to interrupt the body’s natural stress response. The microcurrents from the stimulation patches won’t be felt at all while they help balance your brain’s neurochemistry. Next, you will be given headphones to wear which will play a variety of music or sound effects from NuCalm’s specially curated playlists. These sounds have neuro acoustic beats built into them to place your body in a deep state of relaxation. Finally, a light-blocking eye mask will cover your eyes to eliminate any visual stimuli.

Benefits Of Sedation Dentistry

A phobia of the dentist can lead many people to avoid regular dental visits and cleanings, much less other, more complicated work. But avoiding the dentist means cavities and other problems won’t be discovered easily. This will usually lead to a need for additional, extensive work. The advantages of sedation dentistry will not only minimize the need for extensive work all at once but also the following:

  • You are completely relaxed during your dental visit.
  • You remain conscious and are able to answer questions and are aware of what’s happening.
  • Your anxiety will be non-existent, and your time in the chair will seem to pass quickly.
  • Ability to have more than one procedure performed during one visit.

It’s not uncommon for patients with dental anxiety to put off going to the dentist for a long time. In most cases, a patient may have several issues that need to be taken care of. Your state of complete sedation can allow our dentists to address several issues during one session. Since you’re relaxed, dental work can be done in less time and your dentist can be much more efficient.

Who Is A Good Candidate For Sedation Dentistry?

Sedation dentistry is offered to patients who experience extreme fear or anxiety when they visit the dentist. If your fear and anxiety are preventing you from getting routine dental care or dental treatments you need, then you are probably a good candidate for sedation dentistry. Our relaxation dentistry methods may be right for you if you relate to any of the following:

  • Suffered a traumatic dental experience in the past
  • You have an excessively sensitive gag reflex
  • You suffer extreme discomfort and pain in the dental treatment chair
  • Unable to schedule your routine cleaning and exam every six months
  • You are constantly putting off dental care and restorations
  • You are interested in sedation that allows you to remain awake but deeply relaxed
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Of course, the only way to be sure you are a good candidate is to visit our experienced dentists. The dentists of Drs of Smiles can determine if sedation dentistry treatments can help you, and can inform you of what to expect during and after sedation.

What Is Dental Anxiety?

Dental anxiety or phobia is a feeling of worry that causes some people to put off dental visits as long as they are having no pain. When the pain does start, they then have an extremely difficult experience and that reinforces their desire to not return unless they are hurting. Sometimes this fear is built up by others who have had bad experiences.

Dental anxiety/phobia is an extremely common but unfortunate condition. Many people have had difficult, painful, or traumatic experiences in the dentist’s office. When you’ve had that kind of experience, it’s sometimes hard to overcome your anxiety even to have routine dental work done, which is why we offer sedation dentistry and sleep dentistry.

Causes Of Dental Phobia

Causes of dental phobia can be:

  • Painful and/or scary childhood experiences at the dentist or physician
  • Past painful adult experiences
  • Stories from friends and/or media depicting bad experiences from others
  • Fear of the unknown

If your fear and anxiety are preventing you from getting routine dental care or dental treatments you need, then you are probably a good candidate for dental sedation.

Drs Of Smiles Can Help Reduce Your Dental Anxiety

Our team of dentists asks that potential patients who have dental anxiety let us talk to them on the phone, so we can better understand their needs. After speaking to our patients, we will determine the right place in our office for the most stress-free exam and x-rays. We can plan a dental care program that will make our office less of an anxiety-producing place. Our patients become part of our dental family and we care for them!

Our office has hired very gentle staff and doctors who perform detailed exams and x-rays in a comfortable manner. Treatments will be performed at the patient’s pace and in a stress-free way. We explain our abilities to use nitrous oxide, oral sedation, and IV sedation. We offer other ways to improve your dental visits such as headphones, dark glasses, padded chair back and shoulder supports, and heat therapy. All of these options are offered through sedation dentistry.

Our team also undergoes ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support) training every 2 years. This is advanced training in all areas of emergency treatment and care with medications and CPR. This ensures the safety of our patients, especially with Sedation Dentistry.

Sedation Dentistry Patient Testimonial

“I have always been uncomfortable going to any dentist. The anxiety in just knowing you have an appointment is enough to make me nervous. I hate the sound of drills, the pain of shots and the absolute feeling of helplessness when you’re “in the chair”. That is precisely why I was so astounded at the experience I had at Dr. LeSueur’s office. His staff greeted me warmly and made me feel welcome right from the moment I walked in. While that eased my nervousness somewhat, I still was apprehensive-then I met Dr. LeSueur! He calmly explained to me what all my options were after listening to what I wanted to accomplish. He didn’t pressure me into making a decision right then and gave me all the time and space I needed to decide when and how I wanted to go about my cosmetic dental makeover. To date, I have spent many, many hours “in the chair” and without fail, have always felt comfortable, cared for and appreciated as a patient. All of my procedures were flawless and I couldn’t be happier with my new smile. I would highly recommend cosmetic dentist Dr. LeSueur and his staff to anyone who must see a dentist out of necessity, or who wants to see a dentist for a new look. I did, and I couldn’t have made a better decision. Thank you Dr. LeSueur and staff for everything!” -J.M.B.

Schedule A Sedation Dentistry Consult In Mesa, AZ!

Even people with severe dental fear and phobias have found excellent results with sedation dentistry. If you’ve avoided the dentist for a long time, and have a large amount of work to be done, relaxation dentistry can allow Dr. LeSueur and Dr. Dodaro to accomplish several procedures at once. You’ll be much more relaxed, making the procedures go more quickly, and having several procedures done in one appointment will save you time and money.

For more information on sedation dentistry call Drs of Smiles today at 480.834.6991 today! You can also fill out the form in our contact page, and we will help you set up your appointment! Dr. Glenn LeSueur and Dr. Charles Dodaro serve Mesa, Phoenix, Gilbert, Tempe, Scottsdale Arizona, and surrounding areas.

Dr. Glenn LeSueur and Dr. Charles Dodaro are Mesa dentists, serving Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Gilbert, Chandler, and other East Valley Cities in Arizona, combine LVI training and state-of-the-art technology to bring you, and your entire family, the very best and healthiest cosmetic and neuromuscular dental care.

Visit our before and after gallery to see the results we are able to achieve for our patients. Please contact or call 480.834.6991 to schedule a consultation at Drs of Smiles.

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