Minimal Sedation/Oral Sedation

What is oral sedation dentistry?

Sometimes referred to as “comfortable” or “relaxation” dentistry, which describes the feeling most patients experience during their oral sedation appointments. The purpose of oral sedation is to allow a dentist to work more effectively by helping a patient become as comfortable as possible, remembering little to nothing of their time in the dental chair by the next day. This is accomplished through the use of sedative medications administered orally and sublingually. A consultation appointment is needed so that the patient and dentist can discuss all of the sedation procedures.

Is Oral Sedation safe? YES. Appropriately trained dentists can use a variety of protocols customized to a patient’s physiological and pharmacological needs. A number of oral agents developed especially for these purposes, subjected to rigorous research and testing, are safe and have been used for decades. Dr. Mendez  utilizes the most up-to-date medicines, monitoring, and equipment in order to provide quality sedation care: Blood pressure Pulse oximetry Respiratory monitor.

Which patients benefit the most from oral sedation? Oral sedation dentistry can benefit a wide range of patients, including people with: High dental anxiety and fear A severe gag reflex Chronic or acute jaw soreness Physical limitations such as back and neck problems Difficulty getting numb A desire to have dentistry done comfortably while they are fully relaxed