Sedation Dentistry

There’s no need to miss dental appointments out of fear or anxiety. We offer sedation dentistry options that will allow you to be relaxed and stress free during each appointment – no shame, no judging, just the relief you need to make it to and through each session.

For some people, the mere thought of going to the dentist is reason enough to put off a cleaning and exam. As time passes, ignored dental issues become serious problems. Dr. Butler offers a range of sedation options for patients in our Kerrville family dentist’s office, allowing you to keep your appointment without anxiety.

Types of Sedation

There are four main types of sedation that can be used for anxious dental patients.

• Oral Sedation. Oral sedative medications such as diazepam can be given to a patient the night before a dentistry procedure, or 30 minutes to an hour before the dental appointment, depending on the severity of the anxiety.
• Intravenous (IV) Sedation. An injected drug can also create a state of relaxed sedation; patients often report being awake, but disconnected from the procedures, and have no anxiety or fear. These sedatives can induce conscious sedation, where the patient will be awake and able to respond to commands, but will be in a state of extreme relaxation.
• Light Sedation (Anxiolysis). Nitrous oxide, a form of inhalation sedation, is the most commonly used method to bring on relaxation. It is also known as “laughing gas”.

All of these sedation types allow you to feel relaxed and without fear while undergoing your dental treatment. These drugs do not, however, contain pain relief – meaning that after you are fully relaxed, Dr. Butler will provide a local anesthetic via injection to numb the area he is working on.

If you believe sedation dentistry can help you, please call our dental office in Kerrville at (830) 257-4900, and ask about your options when scheduling your next dental appointment.