Would you rather endure the agony of a toothache than go to the dentist? The thought of going to the dentist might scare you, but you are not alone.

Many people would rather skip treatment than having to visit the dentist. Fortunately, this fear can be overcome with sedation. If you need to have dental work completed, we recommend visiting a sedation dentist. At Singing Hills Dentistry – Dalia Jamma, DDS, we offer sedation dentistry for patients living in and around the El Cajon area. We understand that for millions of adults, visiting the dentist can be an overwhelming or frightening experience due to dental anxiety. This common condition typically starts with a negative experience or becoming fearful of the general idea of dentistry. While common, you do not have to be concerned about visiting our La Mesa dentist’s office because we can ensure your comfort the entire time.

Dentistry uses medicine to relax patients during dental procedures, and at Singing Hill Dentistry in El Cajon, Dr. Dailia Jamma and her team are committed to providing a high level of care, comfort, and safety to patients with high anxiety disorders. Our dentists are experts in sedation and do their best to ensure that patients are comfortable, safe, and relaxed during treatment.

The levels of sedation used include

• Minimal sedation — you are awake but relaxed
• Moderate sedation (formerly called “conscious sedation”) — you may slur your words when speaking and not remember much of the procedure.
• Deep sedation — you are on the edge of consciousness but can still be awakened.
• General anesthesia — you are completely unconscious.

For minimal sedation, you are awake but relaxed. This is the only form of sedation that allows you to go home after the procedure and which is inhaled in conjunction with oxygen through a mask over the nose. The gas helps you relax, but it tends to run off quickly so the dentist can control the amount of sedation you receive.

Depending on the overall dose, oral sedation can be minimal or moderate, but the pill is typically Halcion. It is part of the same family of drugs as Valium and is usually taken about an hour before the procedure.

With moderate oral sedation, people become groggy and fall asleep during the procedure. Medications make you drowsy, even when you are still awake, so higher doses can be administered to produce moderate sedation. You can usually wake up after a gentle shake.

IV sedation allows the dentist to continually adjust the level of sedation, and the sedative enters the veins. This method works by allowing sedatives to work faster.

You are given medication that will render you almost unconscious or completely unconscious during the procedure using deep sedation and general anesthesia. While you are under general anesthesia, you cannot easily be awakened until the effects of the anesthesia wear off or are reversed with medication.

If you receive sedation, a local anesthetic is needed at the place of your mouth where the dentist works to relieve the pain from the discomfort caused by the procedures.

If you would like to learn more about sedation, please contact our office in El Cajon today for a discussion. Call Now (619) 670-5133