"I wanna be sedated." The Toothboss offers sedation dentistry.

When you visit our home page, you'll hear a familiar song by another "boss" Bruce Springsteen. With our newest offering, sedation dentistry, we may have to replace Born to Run with The Ramones' I Wanna Be Sedated.

While dentists have used sedatives like nitric oxide or "laughing gas" for decades, current sedation dentistry involves giving the patient an oral sedative or pill either the night before their appointment or just before the appointment. The new oral sedatives leave anxious patients or patients with a severe fear of the dentists feeling relaxed and calm-and conscious-throughout the appointment.

Are you a candidate for sedation dentistry? Maybe. Patients who are candidates for sedation dentistry include those who:

• Have high levels of fear
• Have had traumatic dental experiences
• Have difficulty with Novocain
• Have a bad gag reflex
• Have sensitive teeth
• Have a fear of needles and shots.
• Have an intense aversion to the noises, smells and tastes associated with dental care
• Are too afraid or embarrassed about their teeth to go visit a dentist

If you have one or more of those symptoms, you may want to schedule a consultation prior to your appointment to determine if that's the appropriate course of action and what type of medication would work best. And while some practitioners may consider that consultation a separate charge, Smiles by the Toothboss does not charge for the pre-appointment consult.

For more information on sedation dentistry, you can find an informational video on our website, www.toothboss.com on the Services page or give us a call at 781-335-0604.