Types Of Sedation Used In Dentistry

Types Of Sedation Used In Dentistry

Nov 01, 2021

Sedation dentistry produces anxiety-free and relaxing experiences for many people receiving dental therapy. Sedation dentistry encourages people scared to visit their dentist to obtain the essential dental care needed while avoiding the widespread apprehension called dental phobia. Approximately 30 percent of the population avoid visiting their dentists because dental anxiety prevents them from receiving essential routine dental care. In doing so, people are compromising the health and functionality of their mouths and smile.

Suppose you are in a similar position and avoid dental visits because of fears of the smells and sounds of the dental practice. In that case, you will help yourself by making inquiries about dental sedation, which allows you to go through any dental treatment you need after receiving medications in a relaxed and calm state. Dentists are aware of patients’ anxiety and why patients avoid visiting dental facilities and have made arrangements to help people overcome their dental phobia.

What Is Dental Sedation?

Dental sedation is a process used by Langley dentists to provide patients with a relaxing experience at the dental office using sedatives. Dentists administer sedative drugs such as nitrous oxide, depressants, antianxiety medications, and tranquillizers in various ways to relax when undergoing dental procedures.

Earlier, IV sedation was the most popular technique of delivering sedatives via injections into the blood vessels of the hand or arm. Although IV sedation is safe and effective when delivered by a trained professional dental sedation has evolved to provide a more relaxing experience to patients. In addition, when visiting dental offices, people no longer have to fear the needle of IV sedation because you now have alternatives such as nitrous oxide, offering you a no-needle approach you may find appealing.

Dentists increasingly use oral sedation on patients in Canada and the US to quell patient fears. Delivering oral sedation to patients is not challenging because it eliminates the use of needles. Whether administered to adults or children, oral sedation makes the patient comfortable to ensure they don’t recollect their visit to their dentist. Patients believe they snoozed through their dental treatment. In reality, oral sedation maintains a level of consciousness in the patient for their safety and cooperation.

Do You Fall Asleep during Sedation?

It would be wrong to assume Langley dental sedation makes you sleep. As mentioned earlier, dental sedation helps maintain a level of consciousness for safety and cooperation. Dental sedation is unlike other types of anesthesia which increase your threshold of pain. Although dental sedation relaxes you by relaxing your mind and body, your pain impulses require separate anesthesia injected directly into the site of the affected tooth or gum tissue.

Dental sedation is merely for anxiety management. To control pain in your mouth, dentists deliver local anesthesia at the site of the procedure. Fortunately, you would likely not remember the anesthesia injected into your mouth because you are entirely relaxed. However, general anesthesia makes you utterly unconscious, while dental sedation does not. Therefore, general anesthesia is not considered a form of dental sedation.

Are You Awake during Sedation Dentistry?

Many people dub dental sedation as sleep dentistry. However, the term is misleading because, in reality, dental sedation keeps you awake during the procedure. In addition, the effects of the sedative drugs you receive make you feel sleepy, leaving you without much memory about your treatment.

The strength of the sedatives used can range from mild to profound, depending on your dental procedure and the duration of the process. Your dentist selects the potency of the dental sedation best suited for your needs based on your anxiousness level. However, you can request more potent sedatives if you feel overly anxious about the dental procedure.

How does Sedation Dentistry Help You?

Sedation dentistry encourages you to receive all the dental treatments you have neglected to allow dental infections and other problems to remain in your mouth. When you visit your dentist for a complex procedure requiring multiple visits but receive dental sedation, you enable the dental professional to work speedily because you remain calm and relaxed in the dentist’s chair. As a result, you think your treatment lasted for a few minutes when you may have spent more time in the dental office.

Dental sedation addresses the fears that prevent you from visiting your dentist regularly and neglect much-needed and recommended dental care. Dental sedation makes it easy for you not to neglect your oral health or allow dental health problems to aggravate in your mouth to require expensive and drastic treatments.