Everyone needs and deserves to have a healthy mouth and beautiful teeth. Unfortunately, fear or anxiety about visiting the dentist prevents many people from attending their regular check-ups and as a result, their dental health is suffering. Dentistry is just like regular medicine in that the sooner a problem is identified, the more easily it can generally be treated and the fewer the consequences for your health.
Sedation dentistry is an additional service that is now being provided by many dentists that can enable those patients who suffer from dental phobia and those who have disabilities that would otherwise find a regular dental appointment possible to obtain the dental care that they need.
If you haven’t heard of sedation dentistry before, you are probably not familiar with the process. While many patients are nervous about the thought of being sedated, the truth is that the process is now safer and easier than ever before.
Sedation comes in several forms and which is recommended for you will depend on your individual circumstances. Your dentist will speak to you about your concerns and consider the type of dental appointment that you need and use this information to make a judgment about which type of sedation is right for you. Nevertheless, sedation tends to be delivered at three levels. These include:
Light sedation is normally administered in the form of nitrous oxide or laughing gas. Despite being referred to as laughing gas, the nitrous oxide, which will be delivered using a mask placed over your nose, actually creates a sense of calm relaxation. Your awareness of what is going on around you will be marginally disrupted and this will enable your dentist to perform the treatment that you need. The effects wear off virtually instantly, and you will be back to normal within a few minutes.
Moderate sedation is provided in the form of a pill which is swallowed around an hour before your procedure. This creates a deeper level of sedation than nitrous oxide, and your awareness will be impaired to a greater degree. You may feel as though you are in a dream-like state. However, the effects also last longer, and you will be unable to drive yourself home that day.
Deep sedation is given to patients intravenously. This means it is injected into a vein, usually in the back of your hand. IV sedation places patients right on the edge of consciousness. You will have no awareness of what is happening around you, nor will you have any memory of the procedure. Again, the effects will not dissipate immediately, and you will need someone to take you home and stay with you for a while.
Sedation dentistry is extremely safe and although there are naturally some risks associated with its use, these are hugely outweighed by the benefit to your dental health. If you know someone who isn’t receiving the dental care that they should due to dental phobia or a disability, sedation dentistry could be the solution enables them to benefit from great oral health.
To find out more about sedation dentistry, or to schedule an appointment to discuss this service, please contact our offices today. Implant Dentistry Periodontics and Facial Rejuvenation is a premier provider of Sedation Dentistry and can help you get treatments comfortably.
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