Stephens & Gatewood Dentistry's Blog

If you avoid visiting the dentist because of anxiety, you’re not alone. Millions of Americans skip regular dentist appointments and ignore dental problems for that very reason. At Stephens and Gatewood Dentistry, we know your health is important to you. If fear or other discomfort is keeping you from taking care of your teeth and gums, we can offer a solution with sedation dentistry.

What is sedation dentistry?
Sedation is a wonderful way to stay current on oral care if you’re nervous about the dentist. It involves anti-anxiety medication administered by the dentist to keep you comfortable mentally and physically. In your consultation with one of our dentists, we’ll discus the type of sedation is right for you: nitrous oxide, oral, or IV sedation. Dr. Jack Stephens or Dr. Robert Gatewood will make sure you stay relaxed and calm during treatment. If IV sedation is needed, a certified anesthesiologist will come to our office for your scheduled procedure.

Who can benefit from sedation?
Any patient who needs dental care but suffers from dental phobia or nervousness could benefit from sedation dentistry. You may also be a candidate if you:

• want to consolidate your dental work into a few visits
• have had problems with a sensitive gag reflex
• find the dental chair too uncomfortable during long procedures

What types of sedation do you offer?

• Oral sedation, which is a pill your dentist prescribes.
• Nitrous oxide sedation, which means you’ll inhale “laughing gas” through a facemask.
• Oral conscious sedation, which is nitrous oxide and oral sedation combined.
• IV sedation, which is administered by a certified anesthesiologist intravenously.

The sedatives used by Dr. Stephens and Dr. Gatewood have an excellent safety record, and both dentists are certified to perform sedation dentistry. At our office, your health and comfort are high priority.

If you are ready to schedule a consultation with Dr. Stephens or Dr. Gatewood, call our office today. We’d love to provide you with peace of mind and a strong, beautiful smile.

Tags: conscious sedation, dr. gatewood, dr. stephens, houston dentist, IV sedation, nitrous oxide, sedation dentist

This entry was posted on Friday, October 16th, 2009 at 2:32 pm and is filed under Sedation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.