Dr. Marvin Gretzinger

family & cosmetic dentistry in Waterloo

Sedation Dentistry

The goal of sedation dentistry is to make sure the patient is as comfortable as possible.

Some things to know

  • Sedation will provide you a way of getting your dental work done while completely relaxed and comfortable.
  • Sedation is achieved with the use of various oral sedatives (triazolam, loraxepam, and hydroxyzine) and often nitrous oxide (commonly referred to as laughing gas).
  • Sedation is NOT general anesthesia, there are no lV’s or injections.
  • You will NOT be ‘knocked out”
  • Sedation allows you to be conscious and responsive
  • You will be very relaxed and possibly sleepy
  • You will be able to verbalize your needs and wants
  • You will be monitored during your entire appointment with blood pressure and pulse oximetry
  • Someone will be with you at all times
  • The sedatives are used to relax your nervous system, so you will feel little to no discomfort
  • You will continue to relax the rest of the day and into the evening and a responsible companion should be with you until the following day.

Oral Sedation

Using oral sedation reduces the patients, fear, and anxiety during dental procedures. This allows Dr. Gretzinger to accomplish more in a dental appointment than normally possible without sedation.

How does oral sedation work?

You take a small pill the evening before your appointment. Someone will need to accompany you to Dr. Gretzinger’ office. Once you arrive you will be given a second pill and you will feel completely relaxed. After about an hour, Dr. Gretzinger will be able to begin with your procedure. Once finished you will be able to go home and relax. It may take 5-6 hours for the relaxation effect of the pill to wear off. This will also work with people who have trouble with local anaesthetic.

Helps people who have:

  • High fear
  • Trouble with local anaesthetic
  • A bad gag reflex
  • Traumatic dental experience
  • Very sensitive teeth
  • Complex dental problems

N2O Inhalation Sedation

This apparatus releases a mix of nitrous Oxide and Oxygen
N2O or Nitrous Oxide, also called laughing gas, is used to help relieve the fear, pain and anxiety of patients during a dental procedure. This will cause the patient to be sedated and completely comfortable.

Process

A small rubber inhaler will be placed over the patient’s nose and adjusted so that the patient is comfortable. At this time, the patient will be breathing 100% oxygen.

Once the patient is comfortably breathing oxygen, Dr. Gretzinger will gradually introduce nitrous oxide. Most patients experience an initial feeling of lightheadedness which then gradually leads to an over-all feeling of warmth.

Dr. Gretzinger will be able to talk to you throughout the procedure and you will be able to respond without any problem.

Once finished the patient will receive 100% oxygen for a minimum of 3-5 mins. At the end of this you should feel completely normal again.

Total Tooth Care

We recommend following these guidelines to keep healthy teeth and gums. These five steps can help you maintain good good oral health and reduce the risk of oral disease and other health problems.