Sedation Dentistry

Your confident smile is our goal.  To get it you’ll need healthy teeth and healthy gums, and you’ll need a dentist with cosmetic dentistry expertise – to get the shape, position, and color of your teeth just right for you.  Whether you need porcelain veneers or a full-mouth restoration, Dr. Forbes and the team at Capital Dental Design in Richmond can help you every step of the way.

Sedation Dentistry in Richmond, VA

Sedation dentistry is the administration of medication during a dental procedure and can range from mild, moderate, to deep. Sedatives work by relaxing the areas of the central nervous system that control conscious awareness. Sedation can be administered in a variety of ways, including oral sedation, as an inhalant, intramuscular sedation, and intravenously.

Oral sedation is very common and is administered in pill form, generally one hour before the appointment. The pill helps lessen anxiety and allows you to relax more easily for and during the procedure. Nitrous oxide, an inhalant, is another type of sedation. Recovery time is fast, and patients can return to normal activities not long after the procedure. For intramuscular sedation, sedatives are injected into upper thigh muscles or upper arm muscles. This type of sedation works very fast.  Finally, there is intravenous (IV) sedation, where the sedative is administered directly into the vein. IV sedation can be used for the entirety of a procedure and can be adjusted to a level of gentile drowsiness, or so strong it puts the patient in such a deep state that the procedure will not be remembered at all.

To learn more about our dental sedation offerings, please refer to the following, or schedule an appointment today. We proudly serve patients throughout Richmond and the surrounding area, including neighborhoods like Southampton, Stratford Hills, Westover Hills, Bon Air, Libbie and Grove, Church Hill, The Fan, Westham, Museum District, and Mooreland Farms.

At Capital Dental Design, we are committed to providing you with effective, considerate care and helping you get the bright, beautiful smile you have always wanted!

Am I a Good Candidate for Sedation Dentistry?

Although nearly every patient may be a viable candidate and benefit from sedation dentistry, the positive effects can be especially impactful for patients who have any of the following:

  • Anxiety or panic disorder
  • Autism
  • Dental phobia
  • Difficulty achieving numbness
  • PTSD
  • Sensitive gag reflex
  • Tooth sensitivity
  • Undergoing intensive oral procedure

Regardless of whether you fit into any of those categories, administration of dental sedation will still provide numerous benefits, including an improved ability to relax, better gag reflex control, improved overall comfort, and improved ability to cooperate with any requests made by Dr. Forbes during the procedure. And because you are at a deeper state of relaxation, we will be able to perform our services much faster and effectively.

Is IV Sedation Safe?

When a dentist is skilled and trained like Dr. Graham Forbes (and team), IV sedation is safe and can make any appointment feel more like a great nap or slumber party. All the same, not every patient is a viable candidate for IV sedation, which is why we will conduct a thorough review of your medical history and make sure your chart is up to date.

If you are a viable candidate for IV sedation, your vitals will be monitored during the entire procedure to make sure the IV is functioning properly.  Of course, after a procedure with IV sedation, it is necessary to have someone available to drive you home from the appointment. The only minor inconvenience with sedation dentistry is that patients will likely experience a feeling of sleepiness, and/or feeling “out of it”, for several hours following the procedure, which is why we strongly recommend asking someone you know and trust to get you home from your relaxing dental treatment! Although every patient will have a slightly different experience depending on their body’s reaction to the sedation, in general most patients experience the following while receiving IV sedation:

  • Feel deeply relaxed and/or sleepy
  • Remain conscious and able to respond to questions
  • Have little to no recollection once the appointment is complete
  • Are surprised how quickly the time has passed and that the procedure is already complete
  • Are satisfied with their decision to have had sedation, as doing so made the procedure much more relaxing

We Create Confident Smiles

At Capital Dental Design, we help you answer “yes” with confidence.
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Cost of Sedation Dentistry

Several factors will determine the total cost of sedation, the biggest being what type of sedation is administered, what procedure is being performed, and whether the procedure and sedation is covered (and if so, how much) by your dental insurance plan. Prior to scheduling any procedure, we will discuss the anticipated costs, verify your benefits (if applicable) to determine out-of-pocket costs, and answer any questions you may have about billing. While we offer IV sedation for more complicated procedures, such as dental implants, tooth extractions, root canals or other surgical procedures, for less complicated procedures we also have oral sedation and nitrous oxide options, which are considerably less expensive.

If you are not covered under a dental insurance plan, or if you are simply interested in saving money, consider joining the Capital Dental Design Membership Plan. Although we make every effort to keep our services affordable for all patients, joining our membership plan allows us to save you even more money by covering the cost of preventive care such as cleanings, exams, and routine x-rays. We also offer discounts of 10-15% on other dental services offered at our clinic. To learn more about our membership plan, payment options, or anticipated costs, contact our office today!

Call Today to Schedule a Consultation

At Capital Dental Design in Richmond, we are committed to keeping our patients as comfortable as possible while providing them with the care they need. One of the main things our patients love about us is that we are a patient-centered practice. We treat our patients like family, which means we take the time to understand who you are, your medical and oral health history, and your oral health goals, because doing so allows us to do everything we can to help you and your family reach those goals.

If you have not joined us as a patient yet and/or if you would like to schedule an appointment or learn more about our dental sedation offerings, contact us today online or call us directly at (804) 320-8894.

We are here to brighten your smile and provide you with the personalized care you deserve!