Reviewed By Dr. Tyler N Davis, DMD
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Some people walk into a dental office without hesitation. Others feel their heart rate jump the moment they picture the chair. Sedation dentistry changes that experience. It gives your body a sense of calm, your mind a steady rhythm, and your visit a level of comfort you may not have thought possible. If dental anxiety has held you back, sedation creates a safer and more manageable way forward.
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Sedation Options Available at Power Road Dental Care
Our office provides two reliable sedation methods that create a calmer, more manageable experience for anxious patients.
Oral Conscious Sedation
Oral sedation involves taking a prescribed pill before your appointment. It settles your mind, relaxes your muscles, and reduces anxiety. You stay awake, but everything feels slower and more manageable. Many people remember only fragments of the visit, which helps reduce fear in the long term.
Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, is given through a small nose mask during your appointment. It helps you feel calmer while still allowing you to stay awake and communicate normally. Once the gas is turned off, the effect fades within minutes.
These options support patients who feel anxious, have a strong gag reflex, struggle to stay still, or find dental work overwhelming.
How Sedation Works in Your Body
Each type of sedation works in its own way to help you feel more at ease during treatment.
- Oral conscious sedation: The medication is absorbed into your system and lowers your body’s stress response. You stay awake, but your mind feels less reactive and the appointment becomes easier to sit through. The calming effect lasts for several hours, so you will need a responsible adult to drive you home and stay with you until you are fully alert.
- Nitrous oxide: As you breathe the gas through the nose mask, it reduces anxiety within minutes. The effect wears off almost immediately once the mask is removed, allowing you to drive yourself home and return to normal activities.
Both options are used along with local anesthesia so your treatment stays comfortable.
How Sedation Supports Anxious Patients
Dental anxiety can make it difficult to stay on track with routine care, especially for patients who have had stressful or uncomfortable experiences in the past. Sedation offers a way to move through appointments with less tension, making each visit more manageable.
At Power Road Dental Care, we place a strong emphasis on prevention and long-term oral health. When anxiety gets in the way of regular checkups or needed treatment, sedation can help patients receive care before small concerns become larger problems. It supports the kind of steady, proactive dentistry we believe in—care that protects natural teeth and maintains lasting function and aesthetics.
Our team takes time to understand every patient’s comfort needs and recommends sedation only when it can genuinely improve the experience. You remain awake and aware, but the level of stress or fear that once made treatment difficult is significantly reduced. This approach helps patients build confidence over time and creates the positive, family-like atmosphere our practice values.
Schedule Your Sedation Consultation
If stress or fear has delayed the care you need, sedation dentistry can create a more comfortable way forward. Dr. Tyler N. Davis can help you explore the right approach for your situation and keep your preventive care on track.
If you are in the Phoenix East Valley, book an appointment at our dental office in Mesa, AZ. Call (480) 664-1438 or visit us at 2500 South Power Road, Suite 102, Mesa, AZ.
FAQs
Are you completely asleep during sedation dentistry?
With oral conscious sedation and nitrous oxide, you are awake but in groggy. The only type of dental sedation that puts you fully asleep is general anesthesia, which is used in hospitals or specialized surgical centers.
How do dentists keep your mouth open when sedated?
Dentists use a small, comfortable device called a bite block to help keep your mouth open. It supports your jaw so you do not need to hold it in position on your own.
Do you feel pain with oral sedation?
Oral sedation calms your mind and relaxes your body, but the dentist still uses local anesthesia to numb the area. You should not feel pain during treatment.
Who offers dental sedation near me?
Power Road Dental Care in Mesa, Arizona offers both oral conscious sedation and nitrous oxide. Patients receive personalized care and a treatment plan designed for comfort.