Pain free dentistry in Cary, NC

The safety of general anesthesia at the dentist is a common concern for patients. However, you can rest assured that your treatment will be safe when an experienced staff anesthesiologist is present, as is the case here at Stanley Dentistry, who has the necessary knowledge and experience to ensure a safe outcome. The anesthesiologist will be able to monitor your vital signs throughout the procedure and take any necessary steps to make sure you are safe. This empowers your dentist to focus their efforts on your dental care. Collectively, your anesthesiologist and dentist will work in tandem should any complications arise, to ensure that they are quickly and safely addressed. So, you can feel confident knowing that when an experienced staff anesthesiologist is present, you will be getting safe treatment from the dentist.

Deciding between laughing gas and oral sedation is an important decision that should be made in consultation with your dentist. Both methods of sedation are effective for relieving anxiety and helping you stay relaxed during dental procedures. Laughing gas, or nitrous oxide, is a mild sedative administered through a mask that you breathe in. It works quickly and wears off shortly, meaning that it's ideal for shorter procedures. Nitrous oxide is also relatively inexpensive, making it a cost-effective option. Oral sedation involves taking a pill prior to the procedure that will help you relax. It's a great option for those with moderate to severe anxiety, or for procedures that take longer than an hour. Oral sedation is stronger than laughing gas, so it may take longer for the effects to wear off. Your dentist will be able to provide you with more information on which sedation method would be best for you, so make sure to ask any questions you may have. Both laughing gas and oral sedation are safe and effective, so you can be assured that either option will work for you.

Lip tie and tongue tie are not the same things. Tongue ties happen when the lingual frenum is too thick or stiff, causing speech impairments or difficulty eating. Lip ties affect the labial frenum, which is the small band of flesh that connects the upper and lower gums to the lips. Frenectomies, along with proper therapy, can treat both lip ties and tongue ties.

At Stanley Dentistry, we pride ourselves on offering stress and pain-free oral surgery. For many of our surgeries, we use IV sedation so patients don’t feel or remember the procedure at all. When they wake up from surgery, we prescribe either prescription pain killers or over-the-counter drugs such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen to manage any discomfort.Compared to other parts of the body, the mouth heals incredibly quickly. Our patients usually only need a few days of recovery after oral surgery before they’re back in their normal routine.

Laughing gas is the perfect way to avoid dental anxiety, pain, and complications surrounding the gag reflex. Come in for a consultation to see if our dental experts recommend using nitrous oxide at your next procedure.

Compared to most forms of sedation dentistry, laughing gas has very few side effects. Most patients walk out of the office post-procedure feeling fine and are able to go right back to their daily routine. Occasionally, a patient will experience: Shivering, Nausea, Sweating, or Fatigue. It’s best to eat lightly before the procedure and to rest five minutes post-procedure to keep these side effects from occurring.

Nitrous oxide works quickly because, unlike other forms of sedation, the body doesn’t metabolize laughing gas. Instead, the gas is expelled through your breath in a matter of minutes, which means the patient has no waiting period or “hangover” at the end of the procedure. The initial onset of inhalation sedation usually takes a few seconds and the recovery time is around three to five minutes.

Nitrous oxide offers non-invasive, rapid, adjustable sedation. Unlike some other sedation methods, the depth of sedation can be adjusted and the dentist can quickly decrease the sedative effects. No other method of sedation gives the dentist this much control. Our doctors administer nitrous oxide gas through a tube that connects to a small mask. During the procedure, a tank will continually send the gas into the mask, keeping you sedated for the entire time.

Nitrous oxide is completely safe and is the most common type of sedation in dentist offices across the globe. The gas is colorless, sweet-smelling, and doesn’t irritate the lungs, nose, or throat. Many dentists prefer laughing gas over other forms of sedation because it works fast and has reversible effects.

Diazepam is an older drug that doctors have been using for years to help anxious patients. Unless you are allergic to the drug, there are no harmful side-effects. Doctors like using diazepam in particular because it’s fast-acting and leaves the system quickly and easily.

With oral sedation, you can still breathe normally but you won’t be as lucid and you won’t remember the sights, smells, and sounds of the procedure after the sedative wears off. This makes it perfect for patients who feel intense dental anxiety.If you are undergoing a serious procedure, we most likely will prescribe IV sedation or inhalation dentistry since those do a better job of alleviating pain. While oral sedation does lessen pain, it’s real purpose lies in reducing anxiety.

IV sedation can be the perfect solution for older children or adults who experience anxiety at the dental office. To ensure patient safety, we do require anyone who is interested in IV sedation to get a physical before the procedure. We are happy to discuss IV sedation with you in more detail! Just give us a call!

Once the medicine is administered, the calming effects of IV sedation will start within a few moments. The amount of time it will take for the effects to wear off will depend on the length of the procedure. Because IV sedation can cause drowsiness, we recommend bringing a friend or family member who will be able to drive you home after your appointment.

IV sedation allows patients to enter a sleep-like state throughout their dental procedure. Patients can still breathe on their own with IV Sedation and there is no breathing tube. The medicine is administered via an “indwelling catheter,” which is a very thin, plastic tube inserted into a vein close to the surface of the skin, usually in the arm or back of the hand.