Laughing Gas or IV Sedation? Choosing Sedation in Rapid City

Published by Orchard Meadows Dental.

If the thought of a dental chair makes your chest tighten, you're not alone, and you're not going to be judged. A lot of our patients waited years, some of them over a decade, before they made that first call. Sedation dentistry gives you more than one way to make treatment easier. We offer nitrous oxide (laughing gas), and at our Rapid City dental office we also offer IV moderate sedation. Here's how the two compare, what each one is like, and how we help you figure out which one fits your visit.

What's the difference between laughing gas and IV sedation?

Laughing gas is something you breathe in through a small mask over your nose, and IV moderate sedation is given through an IV by a licensed provider. Both are there to help you relax so treatment feels manageable. The biggest differences are how they're given and what the rest of your day looks like.

• Laughing gas: nitrous oxide mixed with oxygen and breathed in through a small mask that fits over your nose. According to the American Dental Association, its effects wear off soon after the mask comes off. We offer it for cleanings too, so if you'd rather skip the small talk, just ask.
• IV moderate sedation: administered by a licensed provider, and you're monitored the entire time. You'll have someone drive you, and you'll rest in the chair until our team clears you to go.

Want to know more about how we help nervous patients in general? Read our guide on how we make dental visits easier when you have dental anxiety.

Are you completely asleep during sedation dentistry?

No. With laughing gas and with moderate sedation, you can still respond to your dentist. The ADA's patient guide to nitrous oxide says you'll be able to hear and respond to any requests or directions your dentist has. The Academy of General Dentistry explains that with moderate sedation, patients can purposefully respond to spoken directions and touch, and they need a ride to and from the dental office.

That said, relaxed patients do sometimes drift off, and falling asleep in the chair is a good sign that someone is comfortable. Dr. Mark Garner has also noticed that patients often fear a procedure, especially getting numb, and then realize once it begins that the worry was unnecessary.

Which type of sedation is right for my visit?

It depends on how anxious you feel and what treatment you need, and we talk it through with you before anything starts. Nothing is rushed, and nothing happens without you understanding it first.

If your nerves run high during a cleaning or checkup, our team can walk you through each step as we go, which helps a lot of anxious patients, and nitrous is there to help you relax. We also have a comfort menu with things like a blanket or earplugs, plus massage chairs and TVs on the ceiling.

For bigger treatment plans, sedation can be part of the plan. Dr. Garner has described a patient who had all of his teeth removed under sedation and then received complete dentures. He's also described a patient in their mid-20s who needed extensive full-mouth work. Sedation was used for the first step, crown lengthening, and that built enough trust that the patient went on to complete the root canals and crown preparations without further sedation.

Not sure where you fall? Tell us how you feel about dental visits, and we'll help you decide.

How much does sedation dentistry cost, and will insurance cover it?

What you'll pay depends on the treatment you're having and what your plan covers, and we'll walk you through the numbers before you commit. Our team verifies your benefits and explains what your insurance will and won't contribute before treatment begins, and we do that for free.

No insurance, or a plan that's bigger than your budget? We accept most major credit cards, offer an in-house membership plan with no insurance required, work with CareCredit for third-party financing, and can phase treatment when that's appropriate. You'll find the details on our dental insurance and payment options page. If you're unsure what your plan covers, call us and we'll check for you.

Why do Rapid City patients choose Orchard Meadows Dental for sedation dentistry?

Dr. Mark Garner is licensed to administer IV moderate sedation, and he sees all of our sedation patients. Often another of our dentists sees you first and figures out that sedation would help, and then Dr. Garner takes it from there. Our main office has a surgery suite equipped with IV monitoring equipment.

We use sedation in complex cases as a way to build trust, not just to get through one appointment. That full-mouth case is a good example: sedation helped with the first step, and the trust built there carried the patient through the rest of the work without it. Sedation dentistry exists in our office so that first visit doesn't have to be the hardest thing you do all year.

Ready to talk about your options? Call us at (605) 737-3150 or contact us to schedule an appointment. Tell us how you feel about dental visits, and we'll walk you through your choices with no pressure.

Published by Orchard Meadows Dental.