Dr. Hughes offers nitrous oxide and oral conscious sedation. He discusses the benefits of sedation dentistry and which patients are good candidates. Offering this service allows him to reach patients who might otherwise neglect their oral health.
I also offer sedation dentistry in my practice to help the patient that’s extremely anxious. Sometimes there are medical conditions that require them to be sedated. What I offer in my office is nitrous oxide and I offer the pills, benzodiazepine or Halcion, things like that.
Well, the benefits of sedation dentistry are those patients that are anxious. It also helps with pain management. Makes the patient much, much more comfortable through the procedure. What we don’t want to see is people that neglect their oral health because they’re worried about the sound of the drill or they’re worried about the needle. Well, sedation helps get these people over the hump, so to speak. And I’ve had patients that have been extremely what we call “agoraphobic,” where they’re afraid to even go out. So it takes a lot to get them in here, but the sedation helps to do that. I’ve had people that get nervous as soon as they start sitting in the dental chair and the oral sedation helps with that tremendously.
