06 Jun Everything You Need to Know About Sedation Dentistry
Relaxing in the dentist’s chair might sound like a myth for those who suffer from dental anxiety, but with sedation dentistry, relaxing during a dental procedure is possible.
Sedation dentistry is ideal for patients undergoing longer and more intrusive treatments or those who have a lot of anxiety surrounding their dental appointments.
What Is Sedation Dentistry?
Sedation dentistry is used to bring a calm and relaxed state of mind to the patient as they experience dental treatments. There are varying types of sedation that your dentist might choose to use depending on your level of anxiety and the procedure they are doing.
Most types of sedation dentistry keep you conscious and only vaguely aware of the procedure, removing any fears and reducing the pain of the dental surgery. Some procedures, however, require that you be completely unconscious. Let’s take a look.
Types of Sedation
There are different levels of sedation dentistry that are chosen depending on the patient’s needs. Sedation is administered either through pills, gas, or intravenously (IV).
Light Sedation
Light sedation is mostly done using nitrous oxide, which is colloquially known as laughing gas. Patients inhale the gas through a mask and the relaxing effects start working within the first five minutes.
The patient is conscious throughout the procedure and the dentist will control the amount of gas depending on what the treatment requires. After the treatment, the dentist uses oxygen to flush out the nitrous oxide.
Moderate Sedation
Moderate sedation is usually achieved through oral sedation and makes patients feel so relaxed that they might even fall asleep. While the patient can still communicate with the dentist if they need to, memory and motor skills are impacted for a short period, so the patient should arrange a ride home in advance of the appointment.
General Anesthetic
The strongest type of sedation dentistry, general anesthetic, is often used for longer oral surgeries. For general anesthetic, patients are put to sleep and are completely unconscious. While they are unconscious, they will be assisted with breathing. Only dentists with advanced training in this type of sedation are able to perform this level of sedation dentistry.
Benefits of Sedation
Sedation dentistry has many benefits for patients who suffer from dental phobias and anxieties. Offering patients this relief encourages them to attend their appointments. Some people avoid the dentist because of their fear, and that can lead to serious conditions if their oral health isn’t kept in check.
Being sedated allows the time to pass quickly for patients, while in reality, the appointment might actually be a couple of hours. This means that the procedure can be done in one appointment rather than requiring multiple visits.
Sedation dentistry is also hugely beneficial for people with disabilities or special needs like autism and Down’s Syndrome, as it takes the stress out of attending an appointment.
Speak To Us
Sedation dentistry can help put patients at ease and allow dentists to work quickly and effectively so that both parties are happy. Speak to Kozlow and Rowell today if you would like more information about sedation dentistry.