Is Sedation Dentistry a Good Strategy to Imply in Dental Procedures?

We all have gone through a moment of dental experience where we feel anxiety before going to the dentist. Many people even shudder at the thought of getting their teeth cleaned because they can’t imagine the pain they might potentially have to bear. In such cases where patients are too worried about the pain, the Palos Heights family dentist suggests sedation.

Sedation is one of the dental methods where patients are relaxed so that dental procedures can be completed without interruption. According to worthy smiles, the possible candidates (patients) who are likely to get sedation are those who fear seeing the dentist as if they have a sickness.

Sedation is mostly recommended by dentists in order to reduce the stress and anxiety levels of the patients. Moreover, this strategy is applied in almost every dental treatment, whether it be teeth cleaning or root canal treatment. However, the extent of the usage depends on the fear of the patient.

In this article, we will briefly discuss what sedation is, its types, and whether it is safe in dental treatments or not.

Sedation in Dentistry: Definition

Sedation is one of the types of meditational therapy that is mainly applied during dental procedures and treatments. This method is basically used to calm the patients who fear they might have to go through some sort of pain or procedures that could be uncomfortable for them. The term “sleep dentistry” is another word used for sedation in dentistry.

In sedation, the patient does not completely doze off; however, they are left conscious where they no longer feel the pain.

Different Types of Sedation Levels

There are a number of sedation levels. For example:

• Minimum sedation level: At this level, the patient stays awake but is in a state of relaxation mode.
• Mild Sedation Level: At a mild level, the patient attempts to stumble over the words but is just vaguely aware of the process.
• Extreme Sedation Level: In this level, although the patient appears to be awake but is actually unconscious.
• General Sedation Level: The patient is completely unconscious at this level.

Different Types of Sedation

According to worthy smiles, there are four different types of sedation that a dentist can apply to the patient in case they show a fear factor during the dental procedures. Also, remember, no matter what kind of dental sedation you are applied with, your dentist will also give you a local anesthetic numbing medication to deal with the discomfort.

1. Laughing Gas Sedation

Nitrous oxide also referred to as laughing gas, is given to the patient through a mask along with a combination of oxygen. The Patient can relax and forget about the dental surgery thanks to this gas. Although, the Palos Heights family dentist has total control over how much anesthetic must be given.

Once the dental procedure is completed, the patient might not be able to drive himself or herself home because of the effect of this sedation.

2. Oral Sedation

There are many different oral sedation doses, ranging from extremely low to quite high. A valium-like tablet is given to the patient to provide just mild drowsiness. Typically, this pill is administered an hour before the start of the treatment. While not putting the patient to sleep, this medicine causes the patient to feel lightheaded.

The other is moderate sedation, which makes the patient fall asleep but can be quickly roused by shaking them. Until the treatment is finished, the patient is kept under this type of sedation.

3. IV Sedation

In order for the reaction to begin right away, the medication is injected into the patient’s veins. Generally, the level of sedation in this kind of sedation is mostly adjusted by the dentist.

4. General Sedation

In general sedation, the patient is rendered completely unconscious or, more correctly, in a deep sleep. Furthermore, until the effects of the drug wear off, the person receiving this type of sedation doesn’t seem swiftly awake.

Is Sedation a Safe Strategy to Use in Dental procedures?

Getting sedation is typically risk-free; however, before the treatment starts, it’s better to see your dentist in case you suffer from sleep apnea. Because generally, people who struggle with these sorts of things subsequently face difficulties.

Get an appointment to see your Palos Heights family dentist, as he or she might be able to analyze whether you require any anesthetic or not.

Conclusion

At times there are patients that feel fear, anxiety, and discomfort while going through dental procedures. For those kinds of patients, dentists usually imply the strategy of sedation.

Sedation, on the other hand, benefits dentists greatly, too, because it allows them to process dental procedures comfortably without facing troubles. Besides that, most importantly, it helps the patient unwind during therapy.