Sedation Options - Arcadia, CA

Don’t Let Anxiety or Fear get in the Way of a Healthy Smile

Experience Stress-Free Periodontal and Implant Care with Dental Anesthesia

At Arcadia Perio, we strive to ensure you’re comfortable in the dental chair, both physically and emotionally. We understand that even minor procedures can cause some level of anxiety, and we want you to feel at ease when we treat you. In addition to a gentle touch and caring chairside manner, our board-certified periodontist, Dr. Andrew Peterson, offers several levels of sedation dentistry in Arcadia, CA.

Dr. Peterson will determine if you’re a good candidate for dental anesthesia based on an oral exam, a discussion about your fears and concerns, your medical and dental history, and the type of procedure you need. With safe and soothing sedation anesthesia near you, you’ll feel relaxed and stress-free whether you’re getting gum disease treatment or full-mouth dental implants!

What Issues Can Dental Anesthesia Help Alleviate?

Any level of dental anxiety or fear
Extensive or invasive dental work
Overly sensitive teeth or gag reflex
Difficulty sitting still during treatment
Traumatic past dental experiences
Autism, sensory disorders, or cognitive impairments

Sedation Dentistry Enables Treatment in Your Comfort Zone

Nitrous oxide, commonly called laughing gas, is a fast-acting, mild sedation dentistry type. A carefully dosed mixture of odorless nitrous oxide and oxygen is breathed in through a small mask placed over your nose. Within seconds, you’ll feel a calming, euphoric wave that helps alleviate any fear or anxiety. After treatment, breathing in pure oxygen for a few minutes flushes out minimal aftereffects. Because nitrous oxide doesn’t produce lingering side effects, you can drive yourself home or back to work and return to your daily routine.

Oral conscious sedation dentistry is a good option if you have moderate to severe anxiety regarding treatment or visit the periodontist. About an hour before your visit, you’ll take one pill, typically a benzodiazepine (e.g., lorazepam, diazepam, or triazolam). When you arrive at our office, you’ll feel relaxed and at ease. Because the side effects of medication start before your visit and linger up to 24 hours after treatment, a responsible adult needs to drive you to and from our office, and you should take it easy at home.

If you’re undergoing surgery or have debilitating dental anxiety, IV sedation in Arcadia, CA, is likely the best option. A sedative in liquid form is administered directly into your bloodstream through an IV placed in your hand or arm, producing an immediate calming effect. All your vital signs are carefully monitored during treatment to ensure your safety, and you may drift off into a sleeplike state or feel like you did due to temporary memory loss. The side effects of this type of sedation dentistry can impact your motor skills and reflexes for up to 24 hours, so a designated driver needs to transport you to and from our office, and you should rest for the remainder of the day.

The Potential Oral and Whole Body Health Repercussions of Dental Anxiety

Although periodontal disease is common, harmful repercussions can be prevented with proper oral hygiene and professional periodontal treatment. Left untreated, tartar and bacteria can damage your gum tissue and bone, with ongoing gum recession increasing the risk of tooth decay and eventual tooth loss. However, untreated periodontitis’ side effects impact more than oral health—inflammation puts your immune system on high alert, activating infection-fighting cells (white blood cells) throughout your bloodstream and body. Gum-disease-causing bacteria and biofilm have been linked to cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, pulmonary disease, pre-term pregnancy, and Alzheimer’s disease while increasing the risk of kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, and blood cancers in men.

If dental anxiety is preventing you from getting prompt gum disease treatment, sedation dentistry can be a game-changer. In addition, it may ease your mind further to know that Dr. Peterson is a certified clinician and instructor of LANAP® (Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure), so treatment will be gentler than you probably ever imagined. Now that you understand the risks of avoiding treatment, you’ll likely agree that expert periodontal care delivered with your choice of dental anesthesia at Arcadia Perio can be a smile and lifesaver!

Sedation Options - Arcadia, CA

Don’t Let Anxiety or Fear get in the Way of a Healthy Smile

Experience Stress-Free Periodontal and Implant Care with Dental Anesthesia

What Issues Can Dental Anesthesia Help Alleviate?

Sedation Dentistry Enables Treatment in Your Comfort Zone

The Potential Oral and Whole Body Health Repercussions of Dental Anxiety

Looking for Care That’s Easy on Your Gums and Mind?

Ask about sedation dentistry when you schedule a visit.

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