San Diego Cosmetic Dentist The Art of Dentistry is Offering Sedation Dentistry Services

The Art of Dentistry, a cosmetic dentistry clinic in San Diego, CA, is offering sedation dentistry services to patients that are intimidated by dental procedures and are looking for a pain-free and stress-free option to get their dental problems corrected.

Dentophobia (or Odontophobia) is defined as the fear of going to a dentist. There can be many innocuous reasons for such an irrational fear. For some, it may stem from a bad experience at the dentist when they were young. Others might be apprehensive of needles and may react to a visit to a dentist by becoming anxious and fearful. Everyone is bound to face dental problems sooner or later in their life and thus it becomes important to have a solution for those that are debilitated by the mere prospect of having to visit a dentist’s office.

Sedation dentistry is the solution that helps ease the pain and anxiety experienced by people who try to avoid a visit to the dentist. It is designed by keeping in mind the needs of those with dental anxiety, fear of needles or drills, sensitive teeth, dental phobia, low pain tolerance, and a sensitive gag reflex. It is also referred to as sleep dentistry as medications are used to help the patient relax while the dentist does their job on the patient’s teeth. However, the patient is fully awake during the procedure. There are a few exceptions. In some cases, the patient is put under general anesthesia due to the invasive nature of the operation. Both techniques are classified as sedation dentistry.

The level of sedation varies on a case-by-case basis and is broadly differentiated into 4 categories. In minimal sedation, the patient is awake but relaxed. In moderate sedation (also known as conscious sedation), the patient is awake but the medications affect crucial physiological processes that may lead them to slur their words while speaking and generally not have a memory of the procedure. In deep sedation, the patient is said to be on the edge of consciousness but can still be awakened. Finally, under general anesthesia, the patient is completely unconscious.

Sedation can be brought about by a number of methods. The use of nitrous oxide (or laughing gas) makes the patient relax to achieve minimal sedation. The effect of the gas wears off quickly and the patient will be able to drive themselves home after the procedure. It is administered through a mask that goes over the patient’s nose. Oral sedation can be used to induce minimal or moderate sedation. The pill administered in oral sedation is from the family of drugs called Valium. The pills make the patient groggy and can even put them to sleep. Another technique that is used to bring about moderate sedation is through the use of an intravenous drug. This technique gives the dentist precise control on the level of sedation throughout the procedure. Finally, general anesthesia can be used to render the patient unconscious. Medications are needed to reverse the effect of general anesthesia.

A spokesperson for The Art of Dentistry talks about its cosmetic sedation dentistry services by saying, “We are on the cutting edge of the advances in dentistry. The plethora of options available for sedation makes it so that nobody who fears a visit to the dentist has to go without the dental care that they sorely need. Our clinic is equipped with all the technology to make your visit to our office a pleasurable one. You will hardly realize that you are undergoing a dental procedure. You will be able to hop back on the wagon and resume your daily activities without the pain and discomfort that one usually associates with a dental visit. Dr. Lawrence Addleson and Dr. David Landau are masters of their craft and guarantee that you will get over your fear of the dentist once and for all.”

The clinic can be contacted at the phone number 619-291-4325 for existing patients and at the phone number 619-304-3143 for new patients.