Ft Lauderdale Family, Cosmetic, and Sedation Dentistry Blog | Dr. Thomas O'Neil

Wouldn’t you love to walk into a dental office without the anxiety that you would normally experience. With all of the sedation options at Dr. Thomas O’Neil’s office this is possible!! In our comfortable and welcoming environment Dr. O’Neil will work with you one on one to develop the best sedation option for you.


Here are some examples:

-Nitrous Oxide-AKA: “Laughing Gas, Sweet air”, etc.-a mask is placed over your nose during your procedure which sends Oxygen and Nitrous through your system and causes you to feel more relaxed. Once the unit is turned off the Nitrous is off and you are free to go about your daily business (no real downtime after procedure with this). You are able to drive to and from your appointment and you are also able to eat or drink prior.

-Ativan- a pill that is taken 1 hr prior to appointment to relax you and relieve anxiety. You will need a driver to take you to and from your appointment and you will probably want to stay home and rest after the procedure, due to the fact that Ativan will make you a little drowsy.

-Triazolam-AKA: Halcion- a pill that is taken 1 hour prior to appointment, must be taken on an empty stomach, meaning no food or drink for 12 hours prior. You will need a driver to take you to and from your appointment and you will probably want to stay home and rest that day. What most patients love about Triazolam is the benefit of almost 100% amnesia, therefore, they go home having no memory of the entire appointment!!

-IV Sedation- this is a combination of different medications administered intravenously while you are in the office. You must have an empty stomach , this means absolutely no food or drink 12 hours prior to appointment. You will need a driver to take you to and from your appointment and you will probably want to stay home and rest that day. What most patients love about IV sedation is the amnesiac effect , therefore, they go home having no memory of the entire appointment!!


Dr. O’Neil has extensive training in all different types of sedation. In our state of the art dental office you will find “top of the line” monitoring equipment, and a staff that is highly trained in handling dental emergencies if needed. So take the time out of your hectic schedule and come meet our team. We look forward to seeing you wake up to your brand new smile!
By Stacy & Gina