Oral Sedation

For millions of people, a visit to the dentist is wrought with anxiety and fear. Dr. Patel and the team at Aliso Smiles maintain a focus on patient comfort. We want to ensure that you have positive experiences in our Aliso Viejo dental office. By incorporating sedation dentistry into our menu of services, we are able to help patients receive the care they need for healthy smiles, without the anxiety that has kept them from the dentist. Dental anxiety may affect people of all ages, and sedation can alleviate feelings of fear, enabling you to get the care you deserve.

There are various forms of sedation used today, but oral conscious sedation remains the most popular. Dr. Patel meets with patients well before the treatment date to discuss the details of this method of sedation, and to get a thorough understanding of how visits to the dentist are uncomfortable for you.

Even though we use sedation to calm fears, it is important to us to understand our patients’ perspectives. Dr. Patel gives patients the opportunity to recall past dental experiences, or problems they have had with their oral health, and in getting the care they need. We want to know if patients have felt let down by the level of care they have received, from another dentist or from us! Through thoughtful communication, we seek to create feelings of wellbeing and trust. Often, patients who are heard by their dentist find that they need a lower dose of sedative to remain comfortable during dental visits.

Dr. Patel has the extensive training and hands-on experience in the provision of safe and effective sedation dental services. Our office follows stringent protocols when incorporating sedation into dental treatments. Before administering sedatives, a thorough evaluation is performed, including medical history and investigation into possible conflicts with current medications.

Oral sedation significantly reduces anxiety, allowing patients to sail through treatment calmly. During procedures in which sedation has been administered, patients are awake and able to communicate with our dental team. Anxiety is replaced with calmness. Sometimes, patients do doze off in their relaxed state. Due to the effects of oral sedation, time seems to go very quickly, and patients are likely to have no memory of their treatment. Because the effects of oral sedatives take hours to wear off completely, it is necessary to arrange reliable transportation to and from our office.

We are happy to incorporate oral sedation into dental treatments to ensure our patients are completely comfortable, both physically and emotionally. When oral sedation is provided, we ensure a state of calmness before beginning treatment. In addition to administering sedation, local anesthetic is also used to numb the treatment area.

If you have avoided seeing the dentist due to dental anxiety, schedule your consultation with Dr. Patel to discuss your options for sedation dentistry. Contact Aliso Smiles today.