Relax with Sedation Dentistry

Dental visits don’t have to be stressful or upsetting. It’s not uncommon for nervous patients to feel anxious about seeing the dentist, or to even skip treatment completely. Sedation dentistry comes to the rescue by offering a way for patients to obtain dental care without experiencing the downsides that may accompany it.

Dental sedation involves administering various types and levels of sedative medications to patients in order to provide different degrees of relaxation. The specific dental sedation used depends on the needs of the patient. For example, perhaps a minimal amount would be helpful to simply take the edge off of a nervous patient. In other cases, moderate sedation is required for patients who suffer from more serious anxiety and would otherwise be unable to comfortably sit still in the dental chair or undergo procedures. Severe cases of dental phobia or when complex or painful procedures are involved, the highest level of sedation may be advised.

Sedation is administered in several different ways. Oral sedation involves swallowing a pill, while inhalation sedation entails breathing laughing gas mixed with oxygen through a mask placed over the nose. Intravenous, or IV, sedation is administered through a needle placed in the arm so that the medication goes directly into the veins. These methods can cause different levels of relaxation, and may be selected based on things like the patient’s age, health history, procedures, and preferences.

There are a number of benefits of choosing sedation dentistry. Pain associated with some procedures is minimized so that the patient doesn’t feel anything during treatment. Awareness is also lessened, causing the patient to be less cognizant of the surroundings and the specifics related to dental work as it is performed. Also, memory is affected so that little to none of the treatment is remembered afterwards. The benefits of sedation dentistry are not limited to only the patient. The dentist can complete multiple procedures or more complicated treatments on patients who are under sedation. The patient is also able to sit much more still and has a lessened gag reflex, contributing to faster and more efficient dental care.

 

If you’re looking for dental sedation in the Fresno CA area, contact our office today for a consultation.