We have all had an unpleasant experience in the past so we understand if those experiences may make you wary of visiting the dentist. At MGCCD, we strive to make your experience as pleasant as possible. We are equipped to alleviate your anxiety with the use of multiple sedation dentistry options like nitrous oxide and oral conscious sedation. Please allow our compassionate and experienced staff to guide you comfortably through your dental journey.
There are three main types of sedation which might be used during any dental procedure. Those types are nitrous oxide (aka laughing gas), oral sedation, and IV sedation. Each of these three forms has a specific usage in sedation dentistry, and they are used in accordance with the type of procedure being performed, as well as the nature of the patient's discomfort with it.
Nitrous oxide or laughing gas is a convenient form of conscious sedation. A breathing mask will be placed over your nose. The gas is mixed with oxygen and carefully administered to the appropriate amount for you by the doctor. As you breathe in and out, you will begin to feel more relax and less fearful. Laughing gas quickly wears off once it is turned off. With nitrous oxide you can safely drive home without the need of a driver.
Conscious sedation involves a medication that is taken 1 hour before your visit. This medication will not put you into a deep sleep but rather ease and relax your mind. You will usually drift in and out of sleep and are able to wake up in order to respond to the doctor’s questions and commands.
Our conscious sedation medication has almost no side effects and is reversible. It is also unlikely that the medication we use will interact poorly with any other medication you are taking. With conscious sedation, you will need to have a driver to bring you to and from your appointment.
Most dentists can administer pills or other minimal forms of sedation such as nitrous oxide (laughing gas). To have a general anesthesia administered (one which completely puts you to sleep), the dentist must have formal qualifications for this, or it would have to be done in a hospital setting, where qualified professionals can administer the general anesthetic.
When sedation is administered by a trained professional, it is completely safe for patients. Of course, as with most things in life, there is always a small chance that something could go wrong, but these instances have proven to be so rare as to be negligible. That means that you can count on being completely safe during any dental procedure accompanied by sedation.
The primary benefit delivered by sedation dentistry is anxiety relief for the patient, and in some cases this anxiety can be quite considerable. Pain experienced while under the influence of a sedative will be dull. It will also decrease or eliminate a patient's natural gag reflex, which can be quite inconvenient and even dangerous during some dental procedures. For the most part with oral sedatives, a patient will experience a temporary kind of amnesia, and will be completely unaware of anything which happened during the procedure. All these things combine to make the whole process much smoother and more efficient for the dentist doing the work.
Some patients have such an unnatural anxiety or phobia about visiting a dentist that it makes them avoid dental visits altogether. Of course, they also know that dental visits are necessary for good dental health, so they have the option of overcoming their natural fears by taking advantage of the possibility of sedation dentistry to carry out any work necessary.
If you have a significant fear of dental procedures, we may be able to help you overcome this situation by using sedation dentistry. Contact us at your convenience, so we can discuss some options which may be available to you when any kind of procedure must be performed. You'll feel much more confident about the whole process, and you won't have to worry about any kind of anxiety prior to or during the dental procedure.
New Patient: (478) 298-5197
Existing patients: (478) 929-2190
To Everyone
I have to start off by saying that Dr. Hayslip’s assistants are the most comical and friendly people I have ever met. I don’t think a second went by that I wasn’t laughing at something one of them said. Dr. Hayslip was just as funny and I could thank him a million for the great job he did on my teeth but that would still not be enough. I could say that I never in my life looked forward to going to the dentist until now, I’ve come to know every single person in the office and I’ll probably drop by just to hang out. For the first time ever I actually smiled in my school picture.
Thank you.. thank you.. thank you..
Dr. Hayslip,
For all you’ve done,
For all you do,
A special thanks
From me to You!
The kindness of the Doctor and the graciousness of his nursing staff made having my dental work almost pleasant. I’m glad I chose the BEST staff and Dr. Hayslip as my dentist!!
Bunny Black
Dr. Hayslip and Staff,
Happier more confident and younger looking are just a few of the feeling I am experiencing since Dr. Hayslip gave me my new gorgeous smile. He and his staff are not only professional and caring but they are compassionate as well. The whole experience was so pleasant and Dr. Hayslip takes great pride in his work and it shows. I couldn’t believe how beautiful the temporaries looked and the permanent are unbelievable.
There is so much truth in the phrase “When you smile, the whole world smiles with you”!
Thank you for changing my life.
Renee Caria
Due to my “bite” being off, my bottom front teeth were worn down and were very jiggered. I talked with my regular dentist, whom I had been seeing for many years, about what could be done to fix my bottom teeth. He didn’t seem to be too concerned. I assumed that his only solution was at some point in time he would fit me with a partial plate, or even worse- dentures. I was very disappointed.
Then, someone told me about the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry in Augusta, Georgia. I made an appointment to get an evaluation as to what could be done to save my bottom teeth. The representative told me that my bite was way off and in order to fix my bottom teeth, it would require extensive work throughout my whole mouth.
After I returned home, I noticed a sign in front of a dental office on Russell Parkway, MIDDLE GEORGIA CENTER FOR COSMETIC DENTISTRY. I made an appointment and visited this dentist to get his opinion on what could be done to save my bottom teeth. When Dr. Curtis
Hayslip looked at my teeth and my mouth, he gave me his recommendation, it was the same as the evaluation that I had received at the Dental School in Augusta.
I agreed for Dr. Hayslip to do whatever he deemed necessary to save my teeth. The total process involved grinding down all of my teeth and replacing them with crowns-28 crowns in all. Fitting the new crowns not only corrected my bite, it also enhanced my looks. The results were greater than my expectations. My new teeth looked perfect.
It has been over five years since I had all my teeth crowned and I have never regretted having it done. My new teeth not only helped my looks, but it also helped my self-esteem - I'm not embarrassed to smile now.
Thank you Dr. Hayslip for saving my teeth and improving my life.
Rose Johnson
Dear Dr. Hayslip,
I never realized how drastic the changes would be when I made the decision to have my Dura-thins applied to my teeth. Dr. Hayslip and I discussed the procedure and the outcome. However, I was so pleasantly surprised at how they looked. I used to dread smiling and hated seeing pictures of my teeth. Now, I receive so many compliments; I love to show my new smile! My only regret is that I did not do it sooner. I highly recommend Dr. Hayslip and his staff. They are a great team of professionals who get the job done and done well.
Sincerely,
Wes Boone
