Patient Forms 
Many patients experience anxiety about going to the dentist. It can be caused by a combination of things such as instruments, sounds, injections, and environment. It becomes especially overwhelming for nervous patients when they have to go for multiple visits to get procedures done. To address these types of difficulties with dental visits, sedation dentistry has become increasingly popular.
Conscious sedation is a common option for sedating dental patients. It depresses consciousness minimally enough that patients can maintain physical movement, breathing, and speech. Also called relaxation dentistry, it creates a feeling of total relaxation for the patient. It typically causes the patient not to be able to remember anything about the treatment afterwards.
The major benefits of conscious sedation include:
- Patients can communicate any discomfort during the treatment
- Patients are able to speak and respond to verbal cues
- Cardiovascular functions and breathing are unaffected
- Oral sedation is easily monitored
- Small, easily swallowed pills are used with minimal side effects
- Multiple dental treatments may be performed in a single office visit
- Most patients are unaware of the treatment experience afterwards
- Gag reflex can be avoided by using conscious sedation
- Children can undergo dental treatment quickly and easily
- Pain is minimized through the use of sedatives and pain relievers
The benefits of having conscious sedation during dental treatment outweighs the risks, especially when you consider that many anxious or fearful patients skip dental visits completely. Putting off dental care is not advised because more serious problems and procedures may result. Patients who are avoiding the dentist because of anxiety should ask their dentist about sedation options so that oral care can be provided effectively and consistently.
