Dental Mysteries – Volume 7 – Sedation Dentistry
- Posted on: Jul 30 2012
Welcome to the next entry in our ongoing series of patient information columns. Our goal is to educate the reader, thereby reducing any anxiety that a patient may feel from the unknown. Today, we unveil the mystery of:
Sedation Dentistry
Are you in need of some serious dental work? Do you want to have a more beautiful smile? Have you been postponing treatment, risking your dental health and your self esteem, because you are afraid? You are not alone. Many people suffer from dental phobia. Sedation dentistry to your rescue! Sedation dentistry is a great option for patients who experience high anxiety when visiting the dentist.
Sedation dentistry uses medication to help you relax during dental procedures. There are different levels of sedation used.
Minimal Sedation uses nitrous oxide (or laughing gas) combined with oxygen that you breathe through a mask. The nitrous oxide helps you relax. The dentist can control the amount of sedation and the effects wear off quickly.
Conscious Sedation can range from minimal to moderate, depending on the dose. Your dentist will give you one or more pills about an hour before your procedure to make you drowsy. Some people fall asleep during the procedure, but you can be roused from your “nap” with a gentle shake. Conscious sedation requires you to have someone to drive you home.
Intravenous Sedation requires training in anesthesiology to administer. You receive the sedative drug through an IV into your vein. This allows the sedation to act more quickly. This method causes you to be on the edge of consciousness, but can still be awaked. Or, with more medication, you can be either almost unconscious or totally unconscious during the procedure.
Most patients remember very little or nothing at all about their visit and feel like hours went by in minutes. What you will remember is that you left home and then woke up with your new smile. Smile Texas uses nitrous oxide and oral sedation every day. Two days per week we have an Anesthesiologist (M.D.) in the office to administer IV sedation and monitor our guest throughout their entire procedure.
So, no more procrastinating! Get the smile you’ve been wanting and skip the stress with sedation dentistry.
Posted in: Cosmetic Dentistry Journal
