Sedation Dentistry

Enjoy comfortable, anxiety-free dental care.

Enjoy a relaxing dental experience at Round Hill Smile Design with our sedation dentistry options

Sedation dentistry at Round Hill Smile Design provides patients with a relaxing, pain-free dental experience.

  • Do you need extensive dental treatment to achieve your oral or dental health goals?

  • Are you dreading the thought of spending hours in the dental chair or having multiple appointments?

  • Is anxiety keeping you from even minor dental treatment?

Dr. Laura Duhring and her team of dental professionals at Round Hill Smile Design offer multiple levels of sedation dentistry so that every patient can feel at ease regardless of the procedure or level of anxiety typically experienced at dental visits.

About Sedation Dentistry

Sedation dentistry employs the use of medication to help patients relax during dental procedures. There are multiple levels of sedation dentistry you may choose from for your dental care.

Minimal Sedation

You may have heard of laughing gas (nitrous oxide) or have talked to friends who take a relaxation pill before they go to the dentist (oral sedation). These options provide a light or “minimal” level of sedation. As Dr. Duhring frequently explains to her patients, these options “take the edge off.” They are not designed to make you completely unaware of your surroundings, but are designed to help reduce anxiety you may feel about being in the dental chair and induce a more relaxed and care-free state of mind.

Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous oxide is a very safe and effective gas that is mixed with oxygen and inhaled through a mask that fits over your nose. A benefit of nitrous oxide is that it has a very minimal lingering effect. When you are no longer inhaling the gas, the sedative effects go away almost immediately. Because of this, you are able to drive yourself to and from your dental appointment and do not need to have someone accompany you to your appointment.

Nitrous oxide also has very minimal side effects and very few medical conditions that would make its use inadvisable, meaning that it can be recommended for most patients and cases.

ORAL SEDATION

Oral Sedation is safe, effective, and allows our patients to enter a state of total relaxation while we are enhancing their smile. Just taking a couple of pills prescribed by one of our doctors before entering the office results in an anxiety-free appointment – it’s really that simple! It is required that you have someone transport you to and from our office the day of your sedation.

Moderate Sedation

The level of IV sedation that Dr. Duhring provides is called “IV Moderate Conscious Sedation.” The goal of this level of sedation is that you are drowsy enough to comfortably have your dental work completed while you still maintain enough consciousness to breathe on your own and to respond to simple commands. Depending on your response to the sedation medications, you may be awake but calm and relaxed, in and out of sleep, or totally asleep. These are all normal reactions.

PROCESS FOR IV SEDATION

With IV sedation, sedative drugs are administered into the bloodstream through an IV placed in your arm or hand. The effects are almost immediate, which is a huge relief for our most anxious patients! It also has the great benefit of amnesia, which means that most patients forget their experience at the dentist all together! You may remember having your IV placed and waking up, but you will have little to no memories of having dental treatment done.

REQUIREMENTS FOR IV SEDATION

We do require patients have a sedation consult with a thorough review of medical history and policies at least two weeks prior to your sedation appointment. IV sedation also requires you to have a responsible escort with you who will drive you to your procedure, remain nearby (preferably at our office) during your procedure, and drive you home safely.

SAFETY OF IV SEDATION

IV sedation has been safely and successfully used in dental care for decades. The proper administration of IV sedation requires extensive training and a certification many general dentists do not hold. Because of her commitment to provide a comfortable dental experience for her patients, Dr. Laura Duhring dedicated two years of post-graduate training to learn the proper methods of safely administering IV sedation. With years of experience, Dr. Duhring has found sedation dentistry to be of huge value to the countless patients she has treated who suffer from dental anxiety. Her qualifications and experience create a safe and comfortable environment for even the most anxious of patients.

The level of comfort and relaxation patients experience at Round Hill Smile Design goes beyond just the sedation dentistry options we offer. Loudoun County dentists, Dr. Laura Duhring and Dr. Sean Grady, along with their team of dental professionals, are known for being helpful and considerate even with the most anxious patients. We believe that how well we care for you is a reflection of how much we care.

Contact our office today to schedule a new patient visit and let us know you are interested in more information about sedation dentistry options. Our team would love the opportunity to relieve your anxiety about dental care and help you achieve the healthy, confident smile you deserve.