Sedation Dentistry

If a patient needs to undergo multiple different dental procedures at the same time, sedation dentistry may be used to allow these procedures to be completed effectively. One of our board-certified Prosthodontist may recommend sedation dentistry for you to help you relax, using the aid of multiple sedative drugs. Many patients exhibit several fears and high levels of anxiety with getting any dental work done. Sedation dentistry or sleep dentistry can help the patient to feel more comfortable and relaxed during his or her dental visit. Our board-certified dentists use top-notch techniques and talents to keep you comfortable while obtaining the best possible results.

90210 Sedation Dentistry

Many patients suffer from anxiety during these difficult situations because they perceive dental treatment as a very stressful event, to begin with. Patients might also have fears about the possibility of pain and poor recovery, linked to past dental experiences.

Other patients want to undergo sedation dentistry because they don’t want to be aware of what is happening during the dental visit and would rather block it out. Many people report and perceive that they have a difficult time getting numb after using local anesthesia. Unfortunately, far too many of these instances involve the inappropriate delivery of local anesthesia.

Far too often, patients who have experienced this at the hands of other dentists or medical professionals before will postpone their dental treatment, which can make an existing dental problem much worse and more difficult to deal with. At that time, the patient may have multiple dental issues that need to be addressed at the same time.

Sedation Dentistry Process

Sedation dentistry is a very powerful way to help patients deal with their anxiety and fear, while also to get the professional help required for their dental treatment needs. Patients will be relaxed, comfortable, and may not even remember any of the dental appointment after the fact. There are three primary types of sedation dentistry. The first is known as oral sedation.

Oral sedation is provided approximately one hour before the appointment, and the patient is conscious, and all vital signs are monitored. The patient may feel groggy or sleepy and not remember a great deal about the procedure but will be in a state of deep relaxation during the dental appointment. Unusually another person will bring the patient home. The second type of sedation is IV sedation, which refers to putting the patient to sleep during the entire dental procedure. Under general anesthesia, a patient is unconscious and under the care of an anesthesiologist. All vital signs of the patient are monitored for the entire duration and the patient may need a period to recover afterwards, and to be escorted home by someone else.

Finally, nitrous oxide is another method of sedation dentistry. This is a gas that is given to a patient at the time of his or her dental visit. This takes several minutes to start and will typically wear off shortly after the dental appointment has been completed.

The patient remains conscious for the duration of the procedure and may feel sleepy and slightly relaxed during the sedation process. A patient who has nitrous oxide as a form of sedation dentistry will be able to drive themselves home. Those patients who have dental anxiety or dental phobia will benefit the most from sedation dentistry.

Sedation Dentistry and Dental Phobia

Dental phobia, leading to an avoidance of treatment is very common and is a worldwide problem. Those dentists specifically trained in conscious sedation can help return patients who struggle with dental phobia, to a better state of oral health. If you have avoided the dentist for a long period of time and know that you need extensive or multiple treatments, sedation dentistry may be the right choice for you.

Research completed by the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation found that 30% of the population avoids going to the dentist at all due to fear. This means that people skip out on their necessary routine dental care and may develop significant dental issues. Sedation can allow them to achieve an easy, relaxed and calm state, using sedative drugs or intravenous sedation. Both forms of sedation are effective and safe when administered by a trained professional, and oral sedation dentistry is one of the most common techniques used across the United States to minimize patient fears and anxiety. It requires no needles and the technique is very easy. The oral sedation dentistry also allows the patient to maintain a level of consciousness in terms of cooperation and safety.

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