• Common Dental Problems
  • Why Do Teeth Darken?
  • Advanced Hygiene and Periotherapy
    • Velscope Oral Cancer Screening
• Cosmetic Dentistry
  • Choosing a cosmetic dentist
  • What is the LVI Difference?
  • Characteristics of Award Winning Smiles
• Cosmetic Procedures/
  Treatments
  • Smile Makeover
    • Questions About Smile Makeover
  • Porcelain Veneers
    • Question About Porcelain Veneers
  • Full Mouth Restoration
    • Questions About Full Mouth Restoration
  • Tooth Whitening
    • Teeth Whitening Questions
  • Dental Implants
    • Questions About Dental Implants
    • Implants for Supporting Bridges
    • Advantages of Dental Implants
  • Tooth Crowns
  • Dental Bonding
  • Tooth-colored fillings
  • Porcelain fillings
  • Gum Recontouring
  • Invisalign®
• General Dentistry
  • Dental Bridges
  • Dentures / Partials
  • Periodontics
  • A Look Back at Dentistry's History
• Neuromuscular Dentistry
  • Questions About Neuromuscular Dentistry
  • Sleep Apnea
  • Why See a Neuromuscular Dentist?
• TMJ / TMD
  • Causes of TMD/TMJ Associated Headaches
• Metal-Free Dental Practice
• Sedation Dentistry
  • Types of Dental Anesthesia

Sedation Dentistry

Morristown, New Jersey, and the surrounding area

If you have anxiety about going to the dentist, or if you have had a bad past experience, sedation dentistry can help you relax during your appointment. Sedation or relaxation dentistry is a technique that allows you to have an anxiety-free visit to the dentist.

Awake but sedated

Through the use of common sedative medications taken orally or administered intravenously (through an IV), you can undergo your dental treatment in a dream-like state. Though you will actually be awake during treatment, you will be unaware of the actions being performed on you.

Post-operative amnesia

The medications also make it difficult for you to remember the procedure. In fact, many patients awake from their groggy state with no recollection of their dental treatment. Most people seldom feel discomfort after the procedure.

How it is done

Sedation dentistry works by altering your central nervous system using sedative drugs to produce a calm and relaxed feeling during dental procedures. At Aesthetic Dentistry, we use three methods of sedation:

• Oral sedation: We prescribe drugs in the Benzodiazapine family, such as Xanax and Valium. These medications are to be taken orally prior to your treatment, so you will be relaxed when it is time for your procedure.
• Nitrous Oxide/Oxygen Sedation: Known as "laughing gas," this type of sedation allows your body to function normally while sedating you the point where you may fall asleep.
• IV sedation: Where medication is administered directly into the blood stream. This method is more effective than if drugs are taken orally.

You may be a candidate for sedation dentistry if you:

• Fear needles
• Have difficulty becoming numb after Novocain
• Must undergo multiple dental procedures
• Have had past traumatic experience at the dentist
• Have a strong gag reflex
• Suffer from other physical disabilities

Sedation dentistry works well for most people and is easy to monitor, but keep in mind that it does not produce any pain-relieving affect. Also, you must have someone drive you to and from your appointment, as it will be unsafe for you to operate a vehicle.

If you live in the Morristown, New Jersey area, and have anxiety about visiting the dentist, we can help. Please contact Aesthetic Dentistry of Bernardsville to discuss your options for sedation dentistry. Serving the Bernardsville area, cosmetic dentists Dr. Patti Swaintek-Lamb and Dr. Cheryl Tauriello can help you achieve your ideal smile without pain or anxiety. Please call our office today to schedule your no-cost consultation with a member of our dental team.

We look forward to hearing from and working with you.