The ultimate in relaxation…without needles!
Oral conscious sedation, or OCS, utilizes oral sedative medication to significantly reduce your fears and discomfort. OCS does not require needles to administer and is less expensive than IV sedation.
Benefits of oral conscious sedation:
- It’s very effective for mild to moderate anxiety
- It’s safe and easy
- You can breathe and speak on your own
- It’s less expensive than IV sedation
- In many cases, you can get ALL of your dental work done in one visit
Unlike general anesthesia, which renders patients completely unconscious, oral conscious sedation leaves you able to speak and breathe on your own. Although you will not actually be asleep, you will enjoy a heightened state of relaxation — and probably won’t remember much about the procedure afterwards. Your appointment will be a dream and hours in the chair will feel like minutes.
Oral conscious sedation will put you at ease so you experience little to no discomfort; however, we will also administer a local anesthetic to ensure that you don’t experience any pain. At this point in the procedure you’ll already be so relaxed that you’ll hardly even notice.
OCS should be considered for those who:
- Have extreme fear or anxiety about receiving dental treatment
- Are receiving dental treatment for the first time in many years
- Have a history of traumatic dental experiences
- Suffer extreme tooth sensitivity
- Have complex dental problems
- Have difficulty getting numb
- Have difficulty relaxing during dental treatment (for example, your heart beats rapidly and your palms get sweaty)
- Suffer from TMJ or other medical conditions that make it difficult or uncomfortable to keep the mouth open for long periods
- Have an unusually sensitive gag reflex
Two appointments are generally required for a procedure utilizing oral conscious sedation. During your first visit, we will take a detailed health history. Next you’ll be given a prescription for a sedative medication to take the night before your second appointment so you can enjoy a good night’s sleep.
You’ll be asked to have a companion bring you to and from the office for your second visit. Once you arrive, you’ll take additional medication to ensure that you’re in a tranquil state of mind. Our sedation experts will monitor your comfort throughout your entire visit.
Skill and technique on the part of the dentist are critical for ensuring your comfort and peace of mind during a sedation dentistry procedure. At Warshauer & Santamaria, our doctors are trained and certified specialists with years of experience using oral conscious sedation to enhance the comfort of our patients. We will give you detailed care instructions after each appointment.
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about oral conscious sedation or to schedule an oral health consultation with one of our doctors.
Previously recognized as “Best Dentist”
