What is Sedation Dentistry?
Dr. K. Ashraf offers a solution for people who have difficulty sitting through dental procedures. Sedation dentistry is the use of anesthesia or other pharmacological agents to calm a patient prior to and during a dental appointment.
Typically, we offer sedatives to patients who have a dental phobia or anxiety due to a previous bad experience, or who are undergoing a complex procedure. This helps Dr. Ashraf and our team complete your treatment efficiently, safely, and without any interruptions, ensuring successful and lasting results.
Dental Anxiety Affects over 15% of Canadians
Does the thought about going to the dentist make you anxious? Do your palms start to sweat as you await your appointment in the waiting room? You’re not alone; Over 15% percent of Canadians report feeling either “somewhat afraid” or “very afraid or terrified” of dental visits.
Avoiding the dentist because of a dental phobia or anxiety can increase your risk of greater health issues in the future. Patients who avoid the dentist may not be aware of their possible gum disease, tooth decay, or even oral cancer without the help from a professional and an official x-ray exam.
Luckily, with sedation dentistry, we can relax your nerves and put you at ease for your dental appointment no matter what. We want each one of our Waterloo patients to feel comfortable in our office and confident in our team, whether it’s for a teeth cleaning, root canal therapy, or dental implant surgery.
Who’s a Candidate for Sedation Dentistry?
Sedation dentistry can benefit many of our patients as it helps diminish worries and provide you with a stress-free experience. Patients who will benefit most from sedation dentistry include those who:
- Have a low pain threshold
- Struggle with dental anxiety or phobia
- Can’t sit still in the dental chair
- Have very sensitive teeth
- Have a bad gag reflex
- Require a complex amount of dental work
- Undergo multiple procedures at once
- Have difficult responding to numbing agents
How Does Sedation Dentistry in Waterloo Work?
With sedation dentistry, we safely administer anesthesia through an IV right before your procedure to help dull pain or sedate your nerves. Here at Dr. K Ashraf Dentistry, we have a specially-trained anesthesiologist who controls and monitors the amount of sedation you’ll receive, ensuring safe and effective control levels.
During your appointment, you’ll feel completely relaxed and you won’t feel any pain. Most patients will doze off from the anesthesia and wake up with little to no memory of the entire procedure which helps to get over their fears.
It’s important to know that we recommend you have a friend or family member drive you home because you still may feel the effects of the medication initially after your appointment.
Meet Our Anesthesiologist
Dr. Iqbal Hussain Biswas is a physician who specializes in Anesthesiology and Pain Management. He is a qualified member of our team who can carefully administer and supervise the levels of sedation while Dr. Ashraf works on your smile.
Dr. Biswas’ skills and certifications include:
- Served as the Chief of the Department of Anesthesia at Cambridge Memorial Hospital
- An adjunct professor at McMaster University in Hamilton
- Sits on the Board of Directors at Cambridge Memorial Hospital
- Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
- Member of the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society