Most people fear visits to the dentist and dental procedures, often putting off treatment for as long as they can. However, it is highly unadvisable to delay a critical dental procedure that will alleviate the pain and restore the health and look of your smile. Sedation dentistry is one option that is increasingly being opted for by such people. Let’s see what this approach entails.
What Is Sedation Dentistry?
The objective of this form of dentistry is to eliminate the anxiety and fear that people feel when it comes to dental procedures, allowing them to effectively and conveniently get their dental issues resolved with the help of sedation techniques. Sedation is used for both simple procedures as well as invasive ones. The patient is relaxed with medication that puts them in a state of sleep so that they are unable to feel the pain and the resulting anxiety. There are different types of sedation and levels that patients should be aware of though. Read on to find out.
Types of Sedation Used
There are three common types of sedation used in this dentistry form. These are:
Inhalation Sedation
This type of sedation, also known as “laughing gas”, involves the inhalation of nitrous oxide combined with oxygen through a mask. The amount of sedation is controlled by the dentists and the purpose is to help the patient relax. You can drive back home safely after having this form of sedation as its effect wears off quickly, unlike most other types.
Oral Sedation
Oral sedation involves giving the patient anxiety pills. The dose of the pills determines whether the sedation will be minimal or moderate. Minimal sedation only causes drowsiness while a larger dose is required for moderate sedation typically used in sedation dentistry. However, moderate sedation usually causes people to fall asleep during the procedure.
Intravenous Sedation
In this type of sedation, the drug is injected through the vein. It works more quickly and allows the person to respond to the dentist. However, it may cause memory loss of the procedure as it can cause a deep relaxation state where the person is not bothered about what may be going on.
Levels of Sedation
The types of sedation can control the level of sedation that you want during the procedure. It is best to discuss your options and sedation level best suited to your case with the dentist before proceeding; because if you feel anxious of the needles hurting you, it’s better to be sedated during the procedure than to avoid treatment altogether. Untreated dental problems can result in severe pain and increased complexity. Following are the levels of sedation you can opt for:
* Minimal sedation allows you to remain awake but in a relaxed and calm state.
* Moderate sedation may cause you to forget the procedure and what happened but allow you to respond in a slurred speech.
* Deep sedation causes near-consciousness in which the patient can be awakened
* General anesthesia makes you unconscious.
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