Oral Sedation

Sierra Dental offers sedation dentistry, including oral sedation, to patients who have dental anxiety. This is a safe, effective, and easy way to help you feel calm and relaxed so you can receive the dental care you need.

Oral sedation involves taking a prescribed medication at least an hour, or as instructed, before your appointment. This is a great way to ease nerves, reduce fear or anxiety, and make dental treatments more comfortable. Once the sedative has taken effect, you will feel drowsy and relaxed. This improves your comfort during dental treatments.

We are committed to helping you feel confident in your care. If fear has kept you from visiting the dentist, we welcome you to our clinic to discover how oral sedation can improve your dental experience.

Why Choose Oral Sedation

Many of our patients have shared how oral sedation helped them overcome long-standing dental fears, allowing them to finally complete treatments they have been delaying for years.

Here’s why oral sedation continues to be a preferred solution for our patients at Sierra Dental:

• Ease of use – Take the prescribed pill before your visit, no needles or complex equipment needed.
• Effectiveness – This is a quick and easy way to calm the nerves before you enter the dental clinic, making every step more manageable.
• Widely tolerated by patients – Most patients are suitable for oral sedation because it does not require complicated pretreatment procedures.
• Efficient visits – Sedation allows our team to safely perform more treatment in a single visit, saving you time and multiple appointments.

Pros and Cons of Oral Sedation

Sedatives effectively decrease the activity on the parts of your brain that control fear and anxiety, helping you remain calm and relaxed so our team can perform dental treatments efficiently.

Below, we outline the key advantages and disadvantages of oral sedation:

Pros of Oral Sedation

• Safe and Well-Regulated – The oral sedatives we prescribe our patients are FDA-approved and side effects are very rare.
• Simple to Administer – No IVs, no needles, no complicated setups. You only need to take one or two pills before the appointment.
• Needle-Free Comfort – This is a great option for patients who have fear of needles. Oral sedation is administered in pill form, making the process stress-free from the start.
• Little to No Memory of the Procedure – Many of our patients remember very little of their appointment, helping them overcome long-held dental fears.
• You Stay Responsive – While you will feel drowsy, you will still be able to follow gentle instructions, which can be helpful during procedures.

Cons of Oral Sedation

• Slower Onset – Unlike other sedation options, oral sedation takes longer to kick in. So, you will need to arrive prepared.
• Less Flexible – Dosage adjustments during the procedure are not as flexible as with IV sedation. Also, the effects may differ for everyone depending on the body’s metabolism.
• Requires a Companion – Taking a sedation pill will make you unfit to drive to and from your dental appointment. For your safety, arrange for someone to accompany you.

If you think oral sedation might be right for you, our team will walk you through each of its positives and limitations so you can make an informed decision about your treatment plan.

Discover the Comfort of Oral Sedation

If dental anxiety is keeping you from getting the dental care you need, oral sedation can be just what you need to help you feel more calm and confident. Whether you are in need of routine dental cleaning or a complex full mouth restoration, our team is dedicated to make sure your every visit is smooth and stress-free.

Book your consultation today at (403) 297-9600 to learn about your sedation options and how we can personalize your dental experience. New patients are always welcome!