Surgical Services

Handling Anxiety

Nervousness before any dental procedure is almost universal. But how much it affects each of us varies greatly. To assist you in completing necessary or elective procedures, we offer a range of options to make your treatment go as smoothly and comfortably as is possible.

While local anesthetics are standard, additional medications or methods exist to help you. Subject to any health conflicts, you can use nitrous oxide gas, mild relaxing medications (e.g., “Valium” or similar), oral sedatives or intravenous sedation (IV).

Oral sedation allows you to complete care while drifting through the appointment and having little or no memory of the visit. It requires the use of a prescription about an hour before your appointment time. An adult must drive you to and from the appointment.

Intravenous sedation, provided by Dr. Chang, allows variable levels of sedation.

Dr. Chang has advanced training and experience in IV sedation and many patients find this to be their best way to complete care. As with oral sedation, you should not drive after IV sedation. You should avoid eating for at least 6 hours prior to your appointment. Fluids should be clear and limited as well prior to your visit. Please wear loose fitting clothing.