Procedures

Utah Sedation Dentistry FAQs

Serving Utah In Salt Lake City And Surrounding Areas

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Will my procedure be painful?

No, you should not feel any pain during your procedure at all. We are careful to numb the area thoroughly before performing any procedure that might cause you pain. Modern dentistry has come a long way in recent years. Local anesthetics can be given painlessly, and procedures can be done more quickly than in past years.

What about after I leave the office? Will it hurt later?

You might experience some pain during the recovery phase, but we would give you a pain prescription ahead of time to deal with that.

I get very nervous when I visit the dentist. What can I do?

In addition to pain management, we offer sedatives to control anxiety. This might be an oral sedative that you take before you arrive, or twilight sedation, in which you will be given a sedative after you arrive. Either way, you’ll be calm and relaxed throughout your visit.

Even if I were sedated, I couldn't sit through the procedure I need. What are my options?

In some cases, if the procedure is particularly complicated, or the person is extremely anxious, we offer the option of sleep dentistry. You would be put under general anesthesia, administered by an anesthesiologist, and monitored closely until all your dental work was finished.

Is general anesthesia safe?

All general anesthetics carry some risk, in the sense that each person reacts individually to them, which makes hard and fast predictions unwise. That's why we have a fully trained and well-experienced anesthesiologist to calculate the dose, administer it, monitor your vital signs during dental work, and make sure that you recover fully afterwards.

Can I have general anesthesia for any procedure?

It may not be appropriate or necessary to use general anesthesia for every procedure. In fact, many people are surprised at how comfortable their procedures were using only twilight sedation.

If you are very nervous about your visit, however, we'd be happy to discuss options and address your concerns with you in person, during your free initial consultation.