Sedation and dental anxiety in London, ON

You don’t have to explain yourself

Dental anxiety comes from somewhere. A rough appointment as a child, a dentist who didn’t listen, freezing that didn’t take, or simply years away and embarrassment about what we’ll find. Whatever it is, we’ve heard it, and none of it changes how we’ll treat you.

Tell us when you book. It isn’t a footnote — it changes how we schedule the appointment and how we run it.

What we do differently for anxious patients

• Longer appointments. Feeling rushed makes everything worse, so we book more time rather than less.
• Tell-show-do. Nothing happens before you know what it is, what it will feel like, and how long it will take.
• A stop signal. We agree one before we start. Raise your hand and we stop — not at a convenient moment, immediately.
• No lectures. If it’s been years, we start from where you are. You will not get a talking-to.
• A first visit that’s just a conversation, if that’s what you need. No instruments, no treatment.
• Water and juice on hand if you feel faint or lightheaded at any point.

Sedation here means nitrous oxide

We want to be specific about this rather than vague, because “sedation dentistry” is used to mean very different things at different practices. Here it means one thing: nitrous oxide. We are not an asleep-dentistry clinic, and we would rather you knew that before you book than after you arrive.

Nitrous oxide (laughing gas)

A blend of nitrous oxide and oxygen that you breathe through a small mask over your nose. You stay awake and able to talk to us the whole time, but the edge comes off, and most people find the appointment passes far more quickly than they expected.

Its big advantage is how quickly it clears. We switch it off at the end, you breathe pure oxygen for a few minutes, and it’s out of your system — so you can normally drive yourself home and carry on with your day. No one has to take time off to bring you, and you don’t lose the rest of your afternoon to it.

It suits mild to moderate nerves well, and it can be used alongside freezing for treatment as easily as it can for a checkup and cleaning. The level is adjustable throughout — if you want more, or less, or none, say so and we change it there and then.

If nitrous isn’t enough on its own

For some people it isn’t, and that’s worth saying plainly rather than talking you into trying anyway. If your anxiety needs more than nitrous can offer, or a treatment calls for deeper sedation than we provide, we will tell you so and refer you to a practice set up for it. You are not stuck with what we happen to have, and raising it costs you nothing.

Sedation isn’t suitable for everyone either: pregnancy, some medical conditions and certain medications all rule it in or out, which is why we review your health history first. Tell us you’re interested when you book and we’ll set aside time to talk it through, with no obligation to go ahead.

We’ll also confirm the cost in writing beforehand, as we do with any treatment, along with anything your insurance or CDCP coverage contributes.

Which treatments can this be used for?

Anything, in principle — from a checkup and cleaning if that’s the part you dread, through fillings and repairs, root canal therapy, and wisdom teeth extraction. What’s appropriate depends on the treatment and your health history, so it’s a conversation rather than a menu.

Coming back after a long time away

A lot of people put off the dentist for years, then put it off further because of how long it’s been. If that’s you: the first appointment is an exam and a conversation, we’ll tell you honestly what we find, and we’ll put together a plan you can work through in an order and a timeframe that suits you. There’s no judgement in it, and there’s rarely as much to do as people fear.

Common questions

Will I be asleep?

No. Nitrous oxide is not a general anaesthetic and it will not put you to sleep. You stay fully awake and able to talk to us the whole time — what changes is how the appointment feels, not whether you are conscious for it. If being asleep for treatment is what you are looking for, we do not provide that here, and we would rather tell you now and point you somewhere that does.

Will I need someone to bring me and take me home?

Normally not. Nitrous oxide clears within minutes of us switching it off — you breathe pure oxygen for a few minutes at the end and it is out of your system, so most people drive themselves home and carry on with the rest of their day. If anything in your health history changes that, we will tell you before you book rather than on the day.

What does sedation cost, and does my insurance cover it?

We’ll confirm the cost in writing before anything is booked, as we do with any treatment, along with whatever your insurance or coverage contributes. You won’t be asked to agree to anything before you’ve seen the number.

What if I’m not sure I want sedation?

Then say so and we’ll talk it through with no obligation to go ahead. Plenty of people who ask about sedation find that being told what’s happening, and being able to stop at any point, is enough on its own. Sedation isn’t suitable for everyone either — pregnancy, some medical conditions and certain medications all rule options in or out, which is why we review your health history first.