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For people who experience anxiety about visiting the dentist, sedation dentistry is a way to rescue them from their fears. Dentists use medications to help patients relax during procedures, and the effects can range from mere relaxation to conscious sedation to completely asleep. Most often, patients remain awake during sedation dentistry techniques but to the point where they don’t remember everything that occurred during the procedure.
Minimal sedation techniques can be performed by most dentists using laughing gas or pills. Moderate sedation, which means that patients are awake but generally unaware of what’s happening, can also be administered by a growing number of dentists. Deep sedation and general anesthesia, however, require more extensive techniques and often require special certification for dentists. Frequently these dentists are oral and maxillofacial surgeons, and some dental offices even employ a dentist anesthesiologist specifically trained in providing all levels of sedation to adults and children.
Anesthesia involves risks no matter what, but when used by experienced professionals, sedation dentistry is usually safe. Make sure that your dentist is qualified to give the type of sedation that will be administered to you, and tell your dentist about any health conditions you have that can increase your risks, such as sleep apnea. Here are some tips when considering sedation dentistry:
• Review your medical history with your dentist, including medications that you take.
• Discuss sedative dosage levels to ensure they are appropriate for your health and age.
• Inquire about the dentist’s training and experience using dental sedation.
• Make sure your vital signs will be monitored during the procedure, and that oxygen and drugs to reverse sedation are available.
• Ask for paperwork detailing risks for the procedure, and review it carefully with your dentist to make sure you understand everything.
