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Sedation Dentistry

If you avoid or dread dental treatment due to fear or anxiety, sedation dentistry may be a great option for you. There is no reason to undergo a significant amount of stress for a dentist visit when treatments are available to help you relax.

Sedation dentistry is a non-intrusive treatment – you’ll remain awake and alert without experiencing pain or discomfort. The treatment will relax you to the point where you’ll be able to follow our instructions while the procedure passes painlessly and rapidly.

At Dr. Delwiche’s office, we practice two types of sedation dentistry: 1) Oral Conscious Sedation, and 2) Nitrous Oxide.

1) Oral Conscious Sedation

The treatment process for oral conscious sedation begins hours before your actual procedure. Prior to your scheduled appointment, Dr. Delwiche will prescribe a sedative. The night before your procedure, you take the sedative pill orally. By the time you arrive at our office, you will already be in a relaxed state. You will need a friend or relative to transport you to and from the appointment.

For certain procedures, we may even administer additional sedation once you arrive at our office. This additional sedation will take the form of another dose of the oral medication or nitrous oxide (see below). Numbing medication is used as a supplementary treatment to assure you don’t feel any pain at all.

2) Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous oxide, commonly known as “laughing gas”, is inhaled through a special mask at the dentist’s office just before your procedure. Nitrous safely creates a relaxing and even mildly euphoric sensation. The side effects of the treatment are very few. If you do happen to know that you are sensitive to nitrous oxide, notify our office beforehand.

Given our ability to adjust dosage based on needs, nitrous oxide is a preferred sedation treatment at our office. Another benefit is that its effects diminish quickly, which means you will be able to transport yourself to and from your appointment and continue on with your day following your treatment.

Rest & Relaxation at Dr. Delwiche’s Office

Besides medical sedation treatments, we do our best to create the most calming environment possible at our office. Our heated massage chairs and TVs will help you forget about any fears or anxieties you might have, while making the time pass quickly.

Dr. Delwiche and our team are warm, easygoing and have the softest touch. We are excellent listeners, always open to answering your questions and concerns.

Call our office today to schedule an appointment to discuss your needs with Santa Rosa dentist Amanda Delwiche, DDS. We look forward to helping you and showing you a new, relaxing way of dentistry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you provide sedation options for anxious patients?

Yes! We understand that some of our patients have fear and anxiety related to the dentist, and we want to make sure that they have access to high quality dental care just like everybody else. In addition to basic relaxation options such as heated massage chairs and televisions to help distract you, Dr. Delwiche is skilled in the use of both nitrous oxide and oral sedation.

Sedation dentistry is an excellent choice if you suffer from dental anxiety. You will remain conscious during the entire procedure; the gentle sedation options we offer simply relax you and make even long procedures seem shorter. You will feel very relaxed and calm and may not even remember the procedures afterwards but will be fully awake and able to communicate with the staff if you need to.

Dr. Delwiche will work with you to decide what sedation techniques will work best for you. We can even use a combination of oral sedation and nitrous oxide if necessary. Remember, oral sedation will leave you groggy for a while after your appointment, and you will need transportation to and from our office.

To find out if sedation dentistry is right for you, please don't hesitate to give us a call!

Does nitrous oxide or laughing gas really make you laugh?

Nitrous oxide (sometimes called "laughing gas") can create a feeling of euphoria, which may make you laugh easier, but its primary effect is to relax you and leave you calm and less aware of any fear or anxiety you may feel during dental procedures. Most people report an enjoyable feeling of drowsiness and relaxation, making their dental visits more pleasurable and less stressful.

Nitrous oxide is a quite safe sedation technique, and our office is trained and experienced in administrating it in the correct dosage to ensure the proper calming effect. We will monitor your status during the administration of the nitrous and during your procedure, so you can relax and enjoy a painless and low-stress dental visit. If you do laugh a little, that's okay too!

If you are sensitive to nitrous oxide or have had a bad reaction in the past, make sure to let us know. We have other sedation options available. There's no need to have an uncomfortable, fearful dental experience with our office! We take every step to ensure you are relaxed and comfortable from massage chairs and a gentle touch to nitrous oxide and oral sedation.

If you've been avoiding the dentist because of fear or anxiety, call us today. We'll be happy to discuss sedation options and answer any questions you may have. Let us work together to remove your dental fears!

Do you provide sedation options for anxious patients?

Yes!

We understand that some of our patients have fear and anxiety related to the dentist, and we want to make sure that they have access to high quality dental care just like everybody else.

Dr. Delwiche is skilled in the use of both nitrous oxide and oral sedation. To find out if sedation dentistry is right for you, please don't hesitate to give us a call!

Which sedation options is better - nitrous oxide or oral conscious sedation?

Nitrous oxide is the preferred technique in our office for several reasons:

We can easily adjust the dosage even during your procedure.
You don't need to remember to take any medication before you arrive at our Santa Rosa, CA dental office.
The effects of nitrous diminish quickly, which means you can safely drive to and from your appointment without arranging for accompaniment.

Oral sedation can often be used to produce a deeper level of relaxation than the nitrous gas and is also an option if you are sensitive to nitrous oxide or cannot take it for another reason. If you choose oral conscious sedation, Dr. Delwiche will give you a prescription to take the night before your appointment. By the time you arrive at our office you will already be in a deeply relaxed state and may not even remember the details of your visit.

With either sedation technique, numbing medication (such as novocaine) will also be used to ensure your visit is completely painless!

Both oral sedation and nitrous gas are helpful for calming dental anxiety. Everyone's body is different, and there are situations where one method will work better than the other. Dr. Delwiche and her staff will review your medical history and current health to determine what is best for you.

Does sedation dentistry mean I'm knocked out?

No! The mild sedation techniques used by Santa Rosa, CA dentist Dr. Delwiche will leave you conscious and able to move, respond to instructions and talk to the staff. It will simply make you very calm and relaxed during your procedure. Many patients report not remembering the procedures afterward, and time seems to go much faster, so even a long procedure will seem short and painless!

Our staff will monitor your status during your visit to make sure you remain healthy and safe under the sedation.

Nitrous oxide sedation is started just before the procedure in our office. You will inhale the nitrous gas through a special mask and will usually experience a feeling of drowsiness and possibly euphoria. The nitrous oxide is processed quickly by your body, and by the end of your procedure, you should be alert enough to drive home.

Oral sedation is administered by a pill taken the night before your procedure and may be supplemented by a second pill once you arrive at our office or by nitrous oxide gas. The pill will make you quite relaxed and drowsy, and a friend or family member will need to drive you to and from your appointment. We recommend you not drive or operate machinery until the effects of the sedative have worn off. You should be able to return to work and normal duties the next day.

Call our office if you have questions about sedation dentistry and whether it is right for you.

Meet Our Doctor:

Dr. Amanda Delwiche DDS

Amanda Delwiche, DDS was raised in Santa Rosa, California, graduating from Ursuline High School. She received her BA from UC Berkeley in 1997 and her Doctorate of Dental Surgery degree from the UCLA School of Dentistry in 2003.

After completing an Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency at UCSF School of Dentistry, she joined a private practice in San Rafael, California. In 2008, Dr. Delwiche returned to her hometown of Santa Rosa to raise a family and to provide excellent dental care to ...