General Anesthesia in Durham

Here at Durham Dental Anesthesia, located in Ajax, we have the facility to offer our patients the option to have all their dental treatments done while they sleep. All patients, including young children, can have the treatment done with a general anesthetic. This can include treatment ranging from simple cleanings and examinations to more comprehensive treatment. Patients in the Durham area who have dental anxiety might choose this option to make their visit a more enjoyable one, especially if they are anticipating a lengthy or uncomfortable treatment ahead.

To assist you in relaxing during your dental appointments, we may recommend oral conscious sedation or nitrous oxide. Each has a long history of success. Before your treatment, we will discuss your needs and expectations as well as the experiences that have led to your feelings of anxiety. Our goal is to get to know you so that we can support you to the best of our ability. In many cases, we have found that simply talking with the dentist about fears sets a patient at ease.

Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous oxide is a sedative agent that is mixed with oxygen and inhaled from a mask over the nose. You are not asleep, just relaxed and unconcerned about dental treatment. The gas takes effect quickly, and is often enough to calm a patient who is nervous about getting a numbing injection to start treatment. Nitrous oxide wears off almost immediately after the flow of gas is stopped, and has no residual wooziness, so you may drive or return to work or other activities right away.

Oral Conscious Sedation

This is a valium-type sedative in a pill form. Typically, it is prescribed for dental anxiety as follows: You take one dose the night before your appointment to help you sleep well, then another about an hour before your visit. Oral conscious sedation causes grogginess, so you need to arrange for someone to drive you to and from the dentist's office. You are conscious throughout treatment, breathing on your own, able to respond to conversation, and can use the restroom if you'd like. However, you are very relaxed and may doze off during treatment. Oral conscious sedation can be a good choice for the patient who is quite anxious, or needs extensive treatment. A patient with little or no dental anxiety may benefit from oral conscious sedation if he or she wants to have multiple procedures taken care of at one appointment. Because it allows both your body and mind to relax, the doctor is able to work more efficiently, and you are less likely to experience jaw stiffness or other post-procedure discomfort.

Our treatments follow strict safety protocols that include a thorough evaluation to help us determine the most appropriate form of sedation for each individual. Using the most appropriate method for your needs, we will make sure that you are calm and relaxed during your dental treatments. Please contact our Durham dental office if you would like to discuss these options and to see if you are a candidate for in-office anesthesia.