Sedation Dentistry
Around 40 million people avoid going to the dentist due to fear or anxiety.
Part of our exceptional dental experience at Traverse Dental Associates is helping you relax and rest easy during treatment. If the idea of dental treatment makes you or your family members apprehensive, nervous or anxious, we can help. Working together with you, we create a personalized sedation plan to help you settle in while we perform your dental treatment.
All patients who experience dental anxiety may benefit from our personalized approach to Sedation. If you or your family members have any of the following fears or concerns, please ask our team about sedation dentistry:
Sedation dentistry is foundational to ensuring a relaxing patient experience. At Traverse Dental Associates, we work together with each patient to determine the sedation approach that best matches the treatment and the desires of the patient.
We offer the following sedation options for a safe, relaxing, comfort-driven, world-class treatment experience.
Nitrous oxide sedation, also known as "laughing gas," is commonly used to make treatment more comfortable and great for patients that feel anxious in the dental chair. This form of sedation is inhaled through a mask and produces a state of relaxation throughout treatment. We gently place a mask over your nose and mouth, asking you to breathe deeply. In a few short moments, anxiety disappears and is replaced by relaxation. This simple sedation method offers the least amount of risk and any side effects vanish as soon as the mask comes off. Once treatment is over, the nitrous oxide quickly leaves the system, which means a short recovery time. Depending on the patient’s needs and wants, we can use laughing gas for treatments ranging from regular cleanings to more advanced procedures.
We gently insert an I.V. line into a vein in your arm. This line delivers a steady flow of medication to keep you unconscious throughout treatment. You will wear an oxygen mask to ensure proper breathing and we will closely monitor your vital signs while you rest easy. This more advanced form of sedation allows patients to have complete ease and comfort right throughout the entire procedure.
For patients who may be uncomfortable with Nitrous Oxide or IV Sedation, we also offer sedation they can take by mouth in the form of a pill. We will provide a prescription pill to make you feel drowsy and relaxed. Depending on the patient and the sedative, oral sedation may lead to sleep during treatment. After the treatment is completed, it may take the balance of the day for the sedation effects to wear off.
Administered by our trained professionals at Traverse Dental Associates, sedation dentistry has been proven to be safe and effective for dental treatment. Without sedation, the patient’s blood pressure tends to rise. With sedation, studies show that treatment becomes safer by reducing blood pressure during the procedure.
Recovery time from sedation is dependent upon the method used. Because sedation causes drowsiness, we always recommend that you arrange transportation to and from your treatment. After sedation, you should not drive, drink alcohol, or operate machinery.
We look forward to meeting you. Call 231-947-0210 or request an appointment online to set up your first visit. We'll be in touch soon.
