7 Common Reasons to Choose Sedation Dentistry
What is Sedation dentistry?
It is quite natural to experience some nervousness before a dental medical procedure. As a result, a crippling phobia may cause you to avoid your dental appointments. However today, there are specialized medications that cause a patient to relax during their treatment procedures.
Sedation dentistry refers to a treatment option that involves the use of medication to ease a patient’s mind from fear and anxiety when undergoing any procedure. Sedation dentistry which is also often referred to as sleep dentistry can be categorized into four levels that is:
- Minimal sedation: Although they are under sedation, most patients under minimal sedation are often awake
- Moderate sedation: In this case a patient might slightly lose consciousness, thus forgetting much of what occurred during the procedure.
- Deep sedation: In this case, a patient is often on the edge of consciousness although they can still be awakened.
- General anesthesia: In this case, a patient completely loses their consciousness
Treatment by sedation dentistry can be used among patients of different age groups regardless of the medical procedure they are undergoing. Sedation dentistry is also appropriate for:
- Children who refuse to cooperate during procedures
- Individuals with tooth sensitivity
- Those with a bad gag reflex
- Individuals with high levels of anxiety
- Individual with a low threshold of pain
- A person who is undergoing different dental work procedures
Types of Sedation used in Dentistry
- Inhaled minimal sedation: This refers to sedation whereby a person inhales a combination of oxygen and nitrous oxide through a mask to enable them to relax while undergoing treatment.
- Oral sedation: This refers to sedation whereby one takes a pill before the procedure to make them relax.
- IV Moderate sedation: This is a form of sedation where the medication is injected into a person’s veins and is often used in procedures that require immediate results.
Dental procedures also require numbing using a local anesthetic to ease the patient from experiencing any discomfort.
7 Good Reasons Why You Should Consider Sedation dentistry
Besides eliminating anxiety and fear by putting you in a calm state when undergoing any treatment procedures, sedation dentistry comprises of other benefits including:
- Suppressing pain: Pain is often the number one reason why people avoid hospitals like a plague. However, sedation dentistry can minimize the pain experienced especially when undergoing major procedures.
- Promotes efficiency: Incorporating the use of sedation dentistry in any procedure increases the success rate because the patient is numb to the pain, therefore the body does not become defensive, making the dentist’s job easier.
- Ideal for special needs: Sedation dentistry is highly preferable for special needs patients such as those with Autism because it reduces immobility often caused when the patient reacts to discomfort.
- Controls gag reflex: Sedation dentistry is highly recommended for patients with sensitive gag reflexes, thus minimizing choking during any dental procedure.
- Promotes multiple procedures: A patient can receive extensive dental treatment continuously because they become numb to any pain.
- Faster dental work: Medical procedures always take longer because of fidgeting and anxious patients who react to any action performed by a medic. However, sedation dentistry shortens the time taken to perform a procedure since it makes the patients calm.
- Improves the overall experience: sedation dentistry makes a dental appointment seem more comfortable especially when a patient is put under deep sedation because they do not experience traumatic memories.
It is important to note that not all Langley dentists can perform all types of sedation. Therefore, you should be keen on who attends to you. you can rely on recommendations from family and friends or use digital platforms to find reliable dentists.
Today, a simple search such as “recommended dentist near me” can present you with options of known dentists you can work with.
If you have been putting off your dental appointments because of the fear of experiencing pain, you are the perfect candidate for sedation dentistry.