Lowell Sedation Dentist

For many patients, administration of local anesthetics and pain relievers may not be enough to ensure a comfortable experience. Lowell dentist Dr. Szarek understands that many factors can influence how a patient tolerates difficult dental procedures and he has specialized training in a range of sedation techniques for managing pain, dental anxiety, stress and discomfort.

If you have had problems undergoing dental procedures, you are not alone. It is a common phenomenon. There are a number of reasons why some have a harder time than others, including differing sensitivities to pain, a prior history of unpleasant dental treatments, and medical conditions that alter the effectiveness and duration of commonly used medications.

For example, studies have shown that patients with a high level of anxiety often do not respond to administration of numbing medications like Novocain in the same way that patients without such fears. Use of sedation in addition to numbing medications is often the key to helping these patients achieve the appropriate level of comfort in order to proceed.

Listed below are some of the techniques Dr. Szarek uses in his practice.

Nitrous oxide

Better known as “laughing gas,” nitrous oxide is a colorless, non-flammable, slightly sweet gas that is inhaled. It is a mild anesthetic and analgesic. It induces a relaxed state and has some pain-relief properties, as well. In some patients, it has been known to have mild euphoric effects, which is where it gets the nickname. Dentists often use nitrous oxide to help patients relax and be more receptive to the medications used to anesthetize the mouth. Unlike stronger sedative medications, nitrous wears off very quickly and patients are able to resume normal activity after their procedure. You will have no problem driving or going back to work or school after your visit.

Conscious sedation

Some patients need more help than that provided by nitrous. Dr. Szarek has special training and certification in the use of special, stronger oral sedatives that allow patients to be minimally conscious during the procedure, but that do not affect the patient's protective reflexes (swallowing, coughing to clear the lungs) the way that general anesthesia does.

This is commonly called conscious sedation because the patient is, technically, conscious during the procedure. Depending on the level of sedation, patients may actually remain focused enough to respond to instructions. However, most patients do not have any recollection of the treatment afterward and their perception is usually that they were asleep during the procedure. For this reason, conscious sedation used for dental procedures is commonly called “sleep dentistry.”

For a typical visit, Dr. Szarek would give you a Valium to take at home the night before your procedure. Then, an hour before the procedure, you would take a second sedative, triazolam. Both of these medications are known to be safe, with no effects on heart rate or breathing. However, Dr. Szarek and his staff still carefully monitor sedated patients' respiration and heart rate to provide an added measure of safety. Dr. Szarek is a member of the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation (DOCS) and has completed their extensive training for use of this type of sedation.

If you undergo conscious sedation, however, you should be sure to have someone accompany you to your visit, as the sedatives take some time to wear off. Patients who have this type of sedation will not be able to drive themselves home after the procedure, and they should not drive or operate hazardous machinery of any kind for the remainder of the day.