Options in Sedation Dentistry

Dental treatment can be a frightening proposition for many people. Even routine checkups may be enough to send a person into a panic attack. This type of fear is called dental anxiety or phobia. If you have a hard time tolerating a trip to the dentist, sedation dentistry may be a great option.

The goal of sedation is to calm or relax patients so that they can undergo dental examinations or treatment without anxiety. It also enables them to handle the poking, prodding, and pain that sometimes accompanies dental work. Another benefit of sedation is minimizing patient movement and gag reflex. Longer appointments and multiple procedures are made possible using dental sedation.

Results are achieved using various methods and types of sedative medications. Here are the most common types of dental sedation:

  • Inhaled minimal sedation – commonly known as laughing gas, this method combines laughing gas and oxygen to provide an odorless gas inhaled through a mask placed over the patient’s nose. It works quickly to relax the patient in only a couple of minutes, and can be easily controlled by the dentist throughout treatment.
  • Oral sedation – sedatives or pain medications are swallowed or dissolved under the patient’s tongue. This quick and painless way to administer sedation is especially appealing to those with a fear of needles.
  • IV moderate sedation – drugs are given directly into the patient’s bloodstream through an intravenous needle. It produces a state of deep relaxation quickly, and makes the patient unaware of treatment throughout the process. Most patients do not remember what happened while under IV sedation.
  • General anesthesia – this heaviest type of sedation is used in the most severe dental phobia cases or for extensive, complex treatments. It’s usually administered through an injection or inhalant, and produces a sleep-like outcome in the patient so that nothing is remembered about the procedure at all.

Sedation dentistry is beneficial to those who avoid going to the dentist or having necessary treatments to improve their oral health as well as their overall health. Ask your dentist about the types of sedation available and which might help you.

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