Harlem Center or Aesthetic Dentistry

Through conscious sedation, your apprehensions about dental treatment can be eliminated. This can be achieved either through taking a pill or through intravenous sedation. Are you one of the millions of people who have put off going to the dentist because of the anxieties and fears associated with some types of dental care? Has it been five, ten, fifteen, even twenty years since you last had any dental treatment? Would you appreciate being completely relaxed, having all your dental needs taken care of in perhaps, one appointment, and afterwards remembering very little about the procedures performed at your visit? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then we can help. Please contact us for a free consultation.

Many patients are nervous about dental visits and put off treatment for years. Procrastination, however, can be the worst thing for your gums and teeth. Various sedation and relaxation techniques can put the most phobic patient at rest.

You are sedated - in other words, you are conscious, you breathe, swallow, and are in control. However, all your anxieties about dental care are removed. As a matter of fact, most people remember very little about their visit except that all their dental work was completed while they were sedated. There are several different sedation methods and we'll help you decide which one is best for your needs.

Anyone who has fears and anxiety about dental treatment of any kind;
Anyone who has put off dental care for years because of dental anxiety;
Anyone who wants to have all their care prepared in one day; and
Anyone who wants to be treated in a caring, and safe environment.

Drugs are given via taking a small pill to create a state of deep relaxation and amnesia. The patient is free of anxiety, looses the sense of time, and has little memory of the procedure. This is an excellent modality for an apprehensive patient for any dental procedure, or a patient undergoing a surgical procedure, such as implant surgery. During the procedure, the patient is continually monitored with automatic blood pressure, and oxygen saturation levels. The patient cannot drive after this procedure.

Some patients are so stoic, that they don't even require a local anesthetic or a numbing of the gums. However, most patients do. The slightest discomfort can be easily eliminated. A topical anesthetic is first applied to numb the tissue before an injection is given. Two types of injections are available. An infiltration injection numbs or eliminates any discomfort in a localized area. A block injection will numb an entire region, as is often done with the lower jaw. The numbness will last from less that an hour to several hours, but will completely wear off.

A combination of nitrous oxide and oxygen is breathed through a nasal mask to give a sensation of relaxation and euphoria. Patients may also know this as "laughing gas.” The gas is odorless. It takes about three minutes to achieve a comfortable state. The patient is totally aware during this procedure and can direct the doctor, if they feel any discomfort. Nitrous oxide is completely eliminated from the patients' system within a few minutes after the procedure, so that the patient is able to drive. This is a significant help for relieving mild to moderate anxiety, and it helps eliminate the gag reflex. Nitrous oxide oxygen can be used for children, and often eliminates the need for a local anesthetic (needle) or numbing. This can be a big help for positive management of younger patients.

This is a deeper form of sedation in which the patient is rendered fully unconscious. It is safe in healthy patients, and often preferred for more difficult procedures such as removal of impacted wisdom teeth. This is performed at Long Island College Hospital.