Sedation Dentistry and the Multi-Specialty Approach to Dental Care

If you have ever been scared to go to the dentist and wish you could just go to sleep and wake up with all the work, that you have been putting off for years, done and have the movie star perfect smile, or you wish that bothersome tooth could be gone and with it the pain. If either of these sound familiar you might want to read on. You might want to learn more about sedation dentistry in Frederick Maryland and Urbana Maryland. Also, if you like the idea of all your dental care, from cleanings and Zoom Whitening, to major wisdom teeth surgery and implants, done in one place by the most competent team around, you may want to read on.

Sedation Dentistry refers to the use of drugs to calm and relax a patient prior to and during a dental appointment. The drugs belong to a class of drugs called sedatives, which exert their action by depressing the central nervous system, specifically those areas concerned with conscious awareness. In the dental field of medicine, doctors will use pharmacological chemicals, ranging from pills, to gases to intravenous drugs to achieve a level of sedation that is required to perform the procedures that the patient needs. Most dental patients require little more than local anesthesia, like an injection of Lidocaine or Novocain, but some patients require local anesthesia as well as some sort of sedation procedure.

There are different degrees of central nervous system depression, each corresponding to a level of relaxation which ranges from minimal, moderate, to deep sedation. Minimal sedation is refers to a state of consciousness where a patient is sedated but readily responds to verbal or physical stimulation, Valium or nitrous oxide are the most common examples of minimal sedation. With moderate sedation the patient is even more relaxed, and will respond to purposeful stimulation, but otherwise is not responsive. In deep sedation, the patient may not exhibit any signs of consciousness and therefore will be unresponsive to stimulation. A different level of training is required by a dental team to perform each level. PearlFection Dentistry is sanctioned and licensed by the State of Maryland to perform all levels of sedation, which is both rare for a dental practice and extremely useful when performing comprehensive dental care.

Sedation by pharmacologic methods may be obtained by three general routes. The inhalation route, where a gas is administered to the patient though a mask, where the sedative gas and oxygen are mixed in such a ratio so the patient losses some level of anxiety. The enteral route involves absorption of medication orally, through the digestive tract. This route includes medications that are either swallowed, absorbed through the mucosa of the oral cavity, or inserted rectally. The intravenous route, where pharmacological agents are injected via needle, into the patient’s bloodstream.

What are the Benefits of Sedation Dentistry


Sedation dentistry has become popular because it offers benefits for both the patient and the dentist. Patients who are simply too scared to have work done when they are conscious, can choose sedation as a way to simply not know what is happening. They go in to the office, have a drug administered and wake up with the work done. It’s easy and eliminates most of the fear. For the dentist, sedation dentistry, allows the doctors at PearlFection Dentistry to perform the work, quickly and without having to worry about the reaction of a nervous patient. For some patient groups, the use of sedation dentistry is the only way that they can get the dental care they need and improve their dental health.

Sedation Dentistry can offer:

  • Patient relaxation
  • Anxiety control
  • Increased comfort
  • Movement control
  • Patient co-operation
  • Control of gag reflex
  • Little or no memory of treatment
  • Blood pressure control
  • All work done in one sitting
  • Low cost
  • Availability for all ages needs patients

What Does Sedation Dentistry Cost?


Depending on type of sedation needed, costs range from a few hundred dollars per session to several thousand. The most expensive sedation option is Intravenous Sedation (IV Sedation) where a team of at least three must monitor the patient’s vital signs. The least costly sedation methods are oral medications and nitrous oxide. Most practitioners charge by the amount of time needed and insurance companies typically reimburse based on 15-minute increments. At PearlFection Dentistry, we charge by the 15-minute increment, unless it’s a very large procedure lasting several hours and then we will give a flat rate. When oral medication is used, there is no additional costs, except the cost of the drugs, which are purchased at the local pharmacy.

Why PearlFection Dentistry for your Dental Care and Sedation Dentistry?


At PearlFection Dentistry in Frederick Maryland and Urbana Maryland, patients come from hundreds of miles away, even across the country to experience what it is like to truly have a team approach for their most complicated dental procedures. PearlFection Dentistry, is a small practice with only two locations, one in Frederick Maryland and one in Urbana Maryland, but our reputation for quality care has become well known far from the local region. With our staff of board-certified Oral Surgeons, Periodontists, Prosthodontists, Endodontists, and renown Orthodontists, as well as our team of general, restorative and cosmetic dentists, and our ability to administer sedation dentistry, the care we provide during sedation, is second to none. While the patient is sedated, each specialist will do his part. If a patient needs several root canals, several extractions, dental implants, and crowns, bridges or dentures, each specialist will do what they do best and hand the patient off to the next specialist. By the time the patient wakes up, all the work is done and the patient recovers and only had to be in the chair one time. It’s a great option and the results speak for themselves.

How do I learn more about Sedation Dentistry and the Multi-Specialty Approach to dental care at PearlFection?


If you are nervous about dental care, really scared, or flat out petrified, you have read the right article and we can help. The first step is to have a consultation by calling (301) 663-5550 or visit our website and request an appointment www.pearlfectiondentistry.com or www.pearlfectionurbana.com . At the consultation there will be no pain. We will ask you some questions, we will take some x-rays and we will go over your entire mouth, one tooth at time, on a big screen with your x-rays displayed, so you can see what our doctors are talking about. We will discuss treatment options and sedation dentistry options. We will go over the costs and how much your insurance will cover. Once you have all the information and are comfortable with the plan we will schedule the work. From there, all you need to do is show up and we do the rest. We can perform, all your wisdom teeth extractions, all your root canals, all you implants, almost everything all at the same visit. We can even do extractions, implants and dentures the same day so you walk out with a new set of teeth in one appointment. Sound too good to be true? You owe it to yourself to see how sedation dentistry and the multi-specialty dental practice can help you get the dental work you need done, without the pain and fear you are worried about.

Hours of Operation

Our Regular Schedule

PearlFection Dentistry

Monday:

8:00 am-8:00 pm

Tuesday:

8:00 am-8:00 pm

Wednesday:

8:00 am-7:00 pm

Thursday:

8:00 am-6:00 pm

Friday:

8:00 am-3:00 pm

Saturday:

By Appointment

Sunday:

Closed

Our Location

60 Thomas Johnson Dr, Suite 1 Frederick, MD, 21702