Sedation Dentistry

Once you've experienced sedation dentistry, you'll never be afraid to go to the dentist again.

You'll be sedated just enough to be unaware  of the treatment.  When the procedure is completed, you'll have little or no memory of what was accomplished.

Because sedation is safe and predictable, we can use it to relieve your anxieties and increase your comfort while we fill your teeth, place or replace crowns or dentures, restore sore gums to good health, whiten yellow or stained teeth, fix a chipped tooth, or during virtually any other dental procedure normally done without sedation.

Imagine being able to smile with confidence and chew your food without pain. No wonder so many patients say:   "Sedation dentistry changed my life."

     It's time to rest easy.  Sedation Dentistry is here!

     After an initial visit with us where all your questions and concerns will be answered, we'll schedule your sedation appointment(s).  You'll find your treatment is performed more comfortably than you might ever have thought possible.  You'll be drowsy, and unaware of the time passing by.  Our specially trained team will monitor you continually throughout the appointment.  The big plus?  We can accomplish extensive amounts of dentistry at one time, and you'll have little  or no memory of the experience.

     For anxious patients, this treatment is a miracle.  Your dental health is important and need not be neglected because you are nervous.  Sedation Dentistry is as simple as taking a pill for many patients.

Relaxing Restoration

Sedation Dentistry — We offer IV Sedation for the patient looking for a painless dental experience.

Ours is one of the few general dental practices in the Unifour Area offering intravenous (IV) sedation. We serve patients with a wide range of needs including those with dental phobias, anxiety, fear of shots, and severe gag reflexes. In addition, we provide treatment to patients who seek IV sedation for the purpose of relaxation or convenience, thereby turning a stressful or lengthy appointment into a pleasant and comfortable experience.

Whatever the reasons- and regardless of how complex, simple or minimal the dental procedure - we make IV sedation available to any patient who requests it as long as you are fairly healthy.

We are committed to minimizing stress and maximizing safety. We are just as committed to eliminating pain.  As you are discharged from our office after your dental treatment, we'll provide you with a prescription for adequate pain control as well.

Different Levels of Sedation for Different Needs

Intravenous sedation/conscious sedation is deeper, more reliable and controllable, and easily adjusted to each individual patient. This is in contrast to other typical dental office agents like nitrous oxide (laughing gas) or pills (oral sedation) that only provide lighter levels of relaxation.

Mild or moderate sedation/procedural sedation in which you are awake but drowsy is a very effective way to relieve anxiety. With slightly deeper sedation, you will be breathing on your own while monitored, but you will have little or no memory of your procedure once it's completed.

The level of sedation will be adjusted according to your needs.

Why IV or Conscious Sedation?

The cost of hospital sedation for dental treatment is cost prohibitive for many patients. Over the years, I had thought to myself how dedicated those patients must be who "tough it out" in the office for lengthy treatment plans or even for a single stressful appointment, whether emergency or routine. Some patients were actually terrified, but they endured it.  And I would constantly hear stories of patients who had bad experiences and would no longer come close to a dental office.  There were just too many patients that were too afraid to see a dentist for even the most routine dental care.  Finally I decided to make dentistry EASY for everybody right here in Caldwell County. 

I thought there must be a better way to help those frightened people get the dental work they want or need, and so I decided to offer IV sedation in my private office.  For those patients who were medically eligible or not seriously medically compromised, IV Sedation is the perfect solution.

IV Sedation Dentistry

The more relaxed a patient is during their dental visit, the more comfortable and successful their dental experience will be. Until recently, doctors have been able to do little to relax patients who suffer anxiety at just the thought of a visit to the dentist.

Intravenous sedation is the answer for many patients. Dr. Hollar is trained in conscious IV sedation and administers relaxant drugs intravenously to the patient, using specific protocols. Dr. Hollar uses medical equipment to  monitor the patient’s blood pressure, pulse, oxygen saturation and respiratory rates continuously to ensure that the patient is completely comfortable and reacting normally throughout the procedure.

While sedated, patients are able to respond to verbal commands but they are so relaxed that they do not experience any pain, discomfort or anxiety. In fact, patients usually report not remembering much of the procedure and actually believe they were asleep throughout their appointment.

Sedation in Dentistry

The Sedation Dental Care Standard

The standard of treating patients using sedation was set by physicians in the U.S. approximately 40 years ago . It is nothing new for patients to be sedated for operations on knees, feet, wrists, ears, noses, or practically anything else. A lady told me the other day, "I had to go in for a MRI (a type of x-ray). I was very nervous so my doctor gave me some sedation." Patients ask dentists for sedation and the dentists do everything they can to talk them out of it. Most dentists do not want to go through the additional training and accreditation process that is necessary to sedate patients.

You wouldn't think of having an ear operation or a nose operation without sedation. But, you move one inch to the teeth and it becomes acceptable to endure time-consuming, strenuous, noisy, and uncomfortable procedures on the most sensitive, personal part of the body (the mouth) with no sedation. Dentists attempt to work outside of the already established standard of using sedation. Hence, we as dentists treat only 50% of the population while physicians treat over 90%.

I have found that fearful patients mentally have no problem being sedated for dental treatment. You ask a nervous patient, "Would you rather have this work done in six appointments over the next two months or in one appointment while you sleep?", and they look at you like you're crazy. "Put me to sleep," is all they say.

Sedation for certain types of dental care has been used for over thirty years. If you asked a hundred patients who have had their wisdom teeth removed how they had it done, most would say they were put to sleep to have them removed. The problem is that dentists say, "Oh root canals and drilling on teeth is not bad enough." This is why 50% of the population does not go to the dentist. The patient is the one who needs to determine what is bad enough for them to warrant sedation, not the dentist.

If you feel that sedation, which is the standard of care for the rest of the body, is necessary for your dental care, call us at 828-754-1600.  Well help you get the treatment you want or need, and get it the comfortable way!

Frequently Asked Questions about IV Sedation

Q: Is gentle dentistry using IV sedation for everyone?

A: This therapy is especially useful for those who: