Making Dental Treatment More Comfortable

We believe anxiety, embarrassment, and fear should not be barriers to having the beautiful, healthy smile that You deserve. Your quality of life, self confidence, and ambitions should not be hindered because of broken, missing, or infected teeth. If Your fear and anxiety of having dental treatment is keeping You from the quality of life, self confidence, and ambitions that You desire, let us help. We are here to provide You a safe, comfortable, and positive experience through Sedation Dentistry. As a patient at the Kenner Dental Group, You will have access to three methods of Sedation Dentistry for your comfort: Oral and Intravenous (IV) conscious sedation, and inhalational sedation with Nitrous Oxide (commonly referred to a “laughing gas”).

Customized Sedation Dentistry: Safe & Effective

Commitment to safe and effective Sedation Dentistry customized for Your needs is what makes Kenner Dental Group distinct from other dental offices. Dr. Kenner is one of only a few dentists in the area who have earned the Master of the College of Sedation in Dentistry status from the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology (ADSA). The Assisting Team of Kenner Dental Group is thoroughly trained in anesthesia assisting and regularly attend training courses through the ADSA. Together, Dr. Kenner and the Team will work with You to determine which sedation options would be most effective, and create a personalized sedation plan for Your dental treatment.

IV Sedation

Intravenous sedation (IV sedation) works to achieve a similar or slightly deeper level of sedation with delivery of the medication through an IV access. The benefit of this option is a more rapid on-set of sedation (1 -2 minutes) as compared to oral administration (20-30 minutes). In addition, there is also a more rapid recovery from sedation (1 -2 hours) as compared to the oral medication which can take up to 8 hours to fully wear off. To begin IV sedation, Dr. Kenner will gently place an IV, usually in one of the arms, and then slowly administer medication through that IV access until a proper state of relaxation is established. This level of sedation is easily maintained throughout the treatment process by small additions of medication through the IV access, all with very quick on-set. Once the treatment is complete you will wake up feeling great, albeit drowsy, with little to no recollection of the appointment.

Oral Sedation

Oral sedation involves taking a pre-medication by mouth 1 hour before the appointment. This pre-medication is a sedative, so a responsible escort is required to bring the patient to the appointment and take them home. Once at the office, our team will be waiting with a private treatment room where additional medication can be given as needed to establish the right level of sedation before beginning treatment. Once the patient is adequately comfortable and nicely sedated, treatment can begin.

Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous Oxide is a safe and effective way to help relax and “take the edge off” without the lingering sedation found with Oral and IV medications. The effects of Nitrous are quick, and resolve shortly after discontinuing the flow of gas. Therefore, you are able to drive yourself after your appointment without any concerns for safety. There are limitations however with the level of relaxation You can get with Nitrous. Generally, for minor procedures like hygiene visits and fillings, Nitrous is effective. For more invasive procedures like Oral surgery, Oral or IV sedation are the recommended sedation modalities.

Is Sedation Right for Me?

Whether young or an adult, any patient who experiences dental anxiety is a candidate for sedation dentistry. If you have any of the following fears or concerns, ask us about sedation dentistry as an option for your next dental treatment:

  • Have overly sensitive teeth/strong gag reflex/trouble getting numb
  • Sensitive to smells or noises in dental offices
  • Extreme dental anxiety, or fear of visiting the dentist
  • Require a more complex or invasive dental treatment
  • Wish to have a more comfortable dental treatment
  • Have had a traumatic dental experience in the past
  • Feel self-conscious about your teeth
  • Afraid of needles/shots

Common Questions

We know you may have many questions about sedation dentistry before receiving treatment. Here are some of the most common questions and answers about sedation dentistry.

Combining the proper level of sedation with local anesthetic, patients do not feel anything. There is very little discomfort, and many patients wake up feeling relaxed and comfortable with almost no memory of the treatment.

No. Unlike general anesthesia, where a patient is completely unresponsive and unconscious, sedation dentistry maintains a level of consciousness during the sedation experience where you are able to respond to definitive stimuli, however you will not remember responding.

Dr. Kenner and his Team are committed to providing the best anesthesia care possible. To do this, they undergo annual training in advanced emergency medicine and anesthesia technique through the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology. This is well beyond State regulations which only require such training every 3 years. This commitment ensures that our patients receive the safest and most comfortable dental anesthesia available. In addition, the medications used in the sedation process are those that have been proven to be safe and effective. Many of these medications are widely used in the hospital setting to sedate patients before undergoing general anesthesia. Before starting your treatment with any type of sedation, Dr. Kenner will complete an extensive review of your medical history and current health status to ensure you are healthy enough for sedation to further limit any potential complications.

As mentioned above, sedation through oral medications requires the most amount of time not only for on-set, but also recovery. Typically oral medications can take up to 8 hours to fully wear off, and IV administered medications can be as quick as 1 hour. This also depends on the level of sedation needed for comfort during your appointment, with higher total doses of medication requiring more time to wear off. In all instances of sedation, because of the variation in recovery time, we require all sedation patients to have someone drive them to and from their appointment and be available to stay with the patient post-operatively to ensure a safe emergence from sedation.