Sedation Dentistry

Dental anxiety is a leading cause of avoiding regular or necessary dental care. There are numerous causes of dental anxiety, including fear of pain, embarrassment about the state of one’s oral health or hygiene, fear of injections, an automatic gag reflex response during treatment, and feelings of helplessness while seated in a dentist’s chair.

As a family-friendly dental practice, we know that some of the most anxious dental patients are kids. Going to the dentist for the first time or having to get a tooth filled can be scary for kids who have had little-to-no experience receiving dental care. Positive dental experiences, free of the factors that cause kids the most anxiety, can result in kids who are confident and dedicated to caring for their teeth for a lifetime.

To help ease anxiety in our young and young-at-heart patients, Barounis Dental offers sedation dentistry services, which can reduce these patient’s worries and alleviate their dental care fears. Sedation dentistry is just one of the ways that we can help reluctant patients get the oral health care they need!

Sedation Process

When you opt for sedation dentistry at Barounis Dental, we use a combination of nitrous oxide and oxygen, which is both odorless and colorless, to lightly sedate you while you receive oral health care. Sometimes called conscious sedation, nitrous oxide is non-invasive, painless, and completely safe for patients of all ages.

Also known as “laughing gas,” nitrous oxide has been used by dentists to soothe dental anxiety for decades and is one of the most commonly used anesthetics in dentistry. It is easy to administer and requires no additional injections to achieve its effective results.

Nitrous oxide sedation is administered through a small mask which is placed over your nose. The mask is connected by tubes to the nitrous oxide and oxygen, assuring a steady flow of these gases to the mask during dental procedures.

Effects of Sedation

The effects of nitrous oxide are nearly immediate and give you an increased sense of relaxation, and sometimes a light sleepiness, while still allowing you to be conscious enough to communicate with your dental care provider.

The effects of nitrous oxide are short-lived once the mask has been removed. While you may can experience some slight disorientation after receiving sedation, our dental care providers will carefully monitor you or your child to ensure any disorienting effects are fully resolved before you or your child leave the dental chair.

When you or your child receive sedation dentistry treatment, you are usually able to leave our office right after your appointment. If you are nervous about your ability to be fully aware and functional following sedation dentistry, we encourage you arrange for a friend or loved one to safely drive you home.

Barounis Dental wants to help our more nervous patients to overcome dental anxiety. When you or your child come into to our office for routine dental care or more complicated procedures, it is important to us that you or your child feel comfortable and relaxed while being treated. With the sedation dentistry offered at our Foxborough, MA office, you don’t have to let dental anxiety prevent you from having a beautiful, healthy smile!