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Sedation Dentistry
Don't Let Dental Fear Impact Your Smile

Dental sedation can help you learn to enjoy the dentist and forget years of bad experiences. If you have dental anxiety, speak with us about sedation!

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Sedation Dentistry in Eagan, MN

Welcome to Wood Park Dental, where our goal is to offer the very best in general and cosmetic dental services in Eagan, MN. We pride ourselves on providing excellent care to our patients in an atmosphere where they can feel safe, in-control, and welcome. Our modern dental office is the perfect place to receive gentle dentistry.

While we strive to make every patient feel at home and comfortable while they’re with us, we understand that not everyone enjoys going to the dentist. We know that for many people, visiting their dentist can feel stressful, overwhelming, and even frightening. 

If you’re overly anxious about the thought of going to the dentist, you’re not alone. Whether your fear is due to a traumatic experience you had at the dentist when you were younger or is simply the result of a lifetime of poor oral hygiene habits, we recognize that this phobia can negatively impact your oral health if it stops you from getting the dental treatment you need. 

Because we want you to have the very best version of your smile, we want to do our part to make going to the dentist easier for you. At Wood Park Dental, we offer sedation dentistry as a way for you to feel calmer and set aside your nerves. Sedation dentistry helps many of our patients get their routine dental care without having to experience crippling anxiety or overwhelming fear. 

To learn more about sedation dentistry in Eagan, we invite you to read the information below or to contact our dental office today by calling (952) 600-2880​

Relieve Dental Anxiety at Wood Park Dental 
Woman at dentist covering her mouth from dental anxiety

Unfortunately, many people are afraid of the dentist. Dental offices get a bad reputation, even though dentists’ primary objective is to help you keep your smile healthy and protect it from harm.

If you’ve had a negative experience with a dentist in the past, it can be even harder to put aside those memories and convince yourself to walk through the doors of your dental office. 

Dental fear is dangerous because it perpetuates a cycle: one bad dental appointment or scary dentist prompts you to avoid future dental care, which in turn causes you to develop additional oral health problems. You put off getting treatment for these problems out of fear, which means the problems get worse and worse. By the time you do visit your dentist for treatment, you need a significant amount of dental work done—which makes you feel traumatized all over again. You then vow that you’re never going back to the dentist. 

This destructive cycle of fear poses a real threat to millions of people, and it’s the reason that so many otherwise-healthy adults struggle with gum disease and dental decay. 

Because we understand that preventive dental appointments are the key to maintaining a healthy mouth for life, we offer a solution for our patients who are dealing with these overwhelming dental fears. By providing sedation dentistry in Eagan, MN, we hope that people who would otherwise never come to the dentist for their six-month teeth cleanings and exams can now do so in a low-stress, routine way. 

We offer a solution for coping with your fear of the dentist. You have the choice of oral sedation in the form of a prescription medication or nitrous oxide, better known as “laughing gas.” To schedule a sedation consultation with our dentists, please call us today at (952) 600-2880

Discover a New Way to Experience Going to the Dentist

If you’ve only ever known dental appointments filled with fear and dread, our sedation dental options in Eagan can change your entire world. 

After a lifetime plagued by severe dental anxiety, it might be hard to imagine one where going to the dentist is nothing more than a routine errand. Once you experience a dental visit or two with a little help from sedation dentistry, however, you’ll begin to see how the dentist is nothing to be afraid of.

Patient in chair at sedation dentist in Eagan MNAt Wood Park Dental, we offer two different types of sedation dentistry: oral sedation and nitrous oxide. 

Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous oxide, which is commonly known in the dental world as “laughing gas,” is a colorless and odorless gas that your dentist can administer through a face mask. 

Laughing gas does not put you to sleep during a dental exam or procedure, but it does help both your body and your mind relax. Once you put on the nitrous mask, you will begin to feel calm and dream-like almost instantly. Laughing gas has the power to make you feel euphoric and for your dental treatment to feel very “far away.” You will still be conscious and able to respond to your Eagan dentists throughout treatment, but you’ll feel safe and relaxed the entire time.

Nitrous oxide is typically the sedation method of choice for anxious children who are nervous about an upcoming dental procedure. Laughing gas is entirely safe for your child, and the effects will wear off momentarily after they remove their mask. 

Oral (Pill) Sedation

Your other choice for sedation dentistry is oral sedation, which you take in the form of a prescription pill. Your dentist will prescribe a medication that you can take shortly before coming to our dental office. Because oral sedation will make you groggy, you’ll need someone else to drive you to and from your dental appointment. 

Oral sedation is a good choice if you want a sedation method that is a little stronger than laughing gas. The exact strength of your sedation will depend on the dose of the pill you take, but, in general, these pills are strong enough to make you feel very sleepy and relaxed without actually falling asleep. 

You can expect to feel light and a little “out of it” during your treatment, which benefits you as you will not focus on the sights or sounds of your dental appointment. 

Safe and Reliable Sedation Dentistry 

Young dental patient smiling at Children's Dentist in Eagan MNWhen you visit our dental office, you can rest assured that our treatment methods are entirely safe and approved by the ADA. Sedation dentistry is a popular, effective way of dealing with dental anxiety and helping patients get the preventive and restorative care they need. 

For the majority of people, dental sedation has very mild and temporary side effects. With laughing gas, it’s normal to feel a tingling sensation throughout your body and even a sense of heaviness in your arms and legs. Because nitrous oxide stops working immediately after you remove your face mask, you can expect the effects to wear off within minutes. Don’t panic if you feel minor sensations of lightheadedness, headaches, or nausea, as these are common and should disappear quickly. 

The effects of oral sedation will last longer, so you should plan to take the rest of the day off from work or school. After your friend or family member drives you home from your appointment, it’s normal to feel groggy, tired, and confused for several hours after. We typically recommend our patients take a nice, long nap after their treatment while the effects of their medication wears off, and they return to normal. 

We can happily recommend dental sedation to most of our patients. Some medical conditions or health factors, however, may make it dangerous or risky to receive sedation dentistry before a procedure. Our dentists are happy to discuss whether sedation is the right choice in your case.

Schedule Your Next Dental Treatment in Eagan, MN!

Whether you need root canal therapy or are simply behind on your routine teeth cleanings, it’s time to stop living in fear of the dentist. With sedation dentistry, you can get all the treatment you need without having to worry ever again.

If you’re ready to transform your dental experiences and discover a life free from debilitating dental anxiety, contact our Eagan dentist office today at (952) 600-2880 to get started! 

Frequently Asked Questions

Patient with dental anxiety covering her mouth near Eagan MNHave you ever needed dental treatment, such as a root canal or cavity filling, but felt too anxious to go to the dentist and get the work done? If so, you could benefit from sedation dentistry in Eagan, MN

“Sedation dentistry” is our way of saying that we offer medical options to make your trips to the dentist easier. Our sedation dentistry helps you relax and feel calm during your dental procedures so you can get the treatment you need without having to worry about your fears getting in the way. 

Types of Sedation Dentistry in Eagan, MN 

When you visit us at Wood Park Dental, you can choose between two different types of sedation dentistry: oral sedation via a pill, or nitrous oxide.

Nitrous oxide, or “laughing gas,” is the type of sedation dentistry most people are more familiar with. Laughing gas is odorless and colorless, and our sedation dentist in Eagan, MN administers it right before your dental procedure. The gas helps you feel light and relaxed, and it brings a sense of euphoria and even tingling to your body.

Oral sedation involves you taking a prescription pill that helps you feel sleepy, groggy, and peaceful so you can sit through your dental treatment without any problems.

Neither version of our sedation dentistry will put you fully to sleep. Still, both will help you feel mentally far away from anything that’s happening in the dental chair so that you can avoid needless anxiety and worry. While the effects of laughing gas wear off immediately, oral sedatives will stay in your system for several hours—which means you’ll need a ride home from the dentist, and you should take the rest of the day off.

Sedation dentistry in Eagan, MN is an excellent way to get the dental treatments you need in a stress-free environment.

At Wood Park Dental, we understand that some patients feel anxious at the dentist. In severe cases—such as dental anxiety—people even stop going to the dentist altogether. Our goal is to change this approach by making dental care a relaxing experience for everyone.

Anxiety isn’t the only reason patients choose sedation. If you need multiple treatments during a single visit, sedation dentistry may be a good idea.

Patient getting oral sedation at dentist in Eagan MNSo, if you’re feeling anxious or have multiple treatments performed, asking for sedation can help.

We offer the following sedation options at Wood Park Dental:

  • Nitrous Oxide
  • Oral Sedation

Nitrous oxide is a safe gas with no lingering drowsiness. With this option, you are safe to resume your day, make decisions, and drive yourself home.

Oral sedation is a pill taken before treatment. With this option, you should rest after your appointment, not make important decisions, and rely on a friend or family member for transportation.

Talk to Your Sedation Dentist in Eagan, MN Today

Your dentist may use one or more options for your sedation, depending on your needs. To learn more or schedule your next dental appointment, contact our office at (952) 600-2880!

If you're searching for 'sedation dentistry near me,' we are here to provide the care and comfort you need.

Meet Our Doctor:

Dr. TuAnh Le Eagan, MN Dentist

Dr. TuAnh Le DDS, FAGD

"“At Wood Park Dental, we are perfectionists and just want the very best outcome for our patients. The best part though, are the relationships that have formed over years of practice. I love seeing and chatting with patients who are like old friends, and many of their children and grandchildren are now patients as well.”

Dr. TuAnh Le is a Minneapolis native who graduated from the University of Minnesota with a dual degree in Genetics & Cellular Biology and Physiology and minored in Psychology. Her devotion to the community and love ...

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