Stress Free Dental Care
If the thought of a dental visit makes your palms sweat, and leaves you feeling nervous all over, you are not alone.
For many, going to the dentist creates anxiety that can prevent you from getting the care you need to stay healthy.
At City Smiles, Dr. Chris Hill and our care team have completed advanced training to provide you with options that allow you relax through visits and get the dental treatment you need. Looking for a dentist that can put you at ease during your visit, please call (314) 678-7876 (Downtown St. Louis) or (314) 678-7876 (Clayton) or email us today for an appointment with cosmetic dentist Dr. Chris Hill.
We offer three options that can help you relax through visits.
Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous oxide, commonly known as “laughing gas,” is readily available in our office and provides an excellent way to combat anxiety for most dental procedures. The mildest form of sedation that we use, nitrous oxide flows through a comfortably fitting mask that rests over your nose. Nitrous oxide is an odorless gas that is used in combination with pure oxygen to induce a feeling of relaxation and well-being during treatment.
At the end of treatment, the sedation caused by the nitrous oxide dissipates almost immediately, and you will be able to return home with absolutely no lasting effects. Although we want to talk to you and evaluate your health before recommending nitrous oxide, there is no preparation necessary before a dental visit with nitrous oxide, and you can return to your daily routine right after.
Oral Sedation Dentistry
With oral conscious sedation, patients take medication that allows them to stay calm, comfortable and in control. Patients elect to receive oral sedation with their dental treatment for a number of reasons. Some of these reasons include:
- Completing their entire treatment in 1 or 2 visits
- Bad gag reflex
- A traumatic experience from a previous dental procedure
- Complex dental treatment
- A high anxiety of dentists and/or a fear of needles
- Embarrassed of their smile
Prior to your appointment
You will be seen in our office to review your treatment that will be completed under oral sedation. At this time, we will also answer any questions that you might have and dispense your medication. We will also discuss your driving arrangements as you will not be allowed to operate a motor vehicle.
Besides water, we request that you do not have anything to eat 12 hours prior to the appointment. You will take a pill prior to going to bed. This pill is a mild sedative and will allow a restful night of sleep leading up to your appointment. Once you arrive in our office the next day, we will then administer another type of medication that will allow you to relax throughout your entire dental appointment. We will not start your treatment until you are completely relaxed and will administer more medication if necessary.
After your appointment
Your companion will take you home and allow you to rest for the remainder of the day. You will not be able to work this day. Also, you most likely will have little to no memory of your dental visit. We will follow up with you by telephone on the evening of the appointment as well as the next day. You will also have access to Dr. Chris Hill in the evening, should you need it.
Conscious sedation dentistry allows us to erase years of needed treatment in just 1-2 appointments without any anxiety. In a just a few appointments we can help our patients to achieve the smile that they have always wanted, restore proper function back to their teeth and increase their self-confidence with a brand new smile.
NuCalm Relaxation Dentistry
NuCalm is an alternative to sedation dentistry that uses neuroscience to disable your body’s anxiety response. This is a drug-free approach, and it doesn’t really sedate you. Instead, you achieve a relaxed, meditation-like state that not only controls anxiety, but can also be rejuvenating. People report higher energy, more creativity, and better sleep after using NuCalm.
Want to learn more about being relaxed at the dentist in St. Louis? Please call (314) 678-7876 (Downtown St. Louis) or (314) 678-7876 (Clayton) today for an appointment at our downtown or Clayton office.
