Regular dental visits are important for keeping your teeth and gums healthy. Many people, however, suffer from dental-related anxiety. Luckily, sedation dentistry offers a low-stress way to visit your dentist. If you would like to know more, keep reading.
What Is Sedation Dentistry?
Sedation dentistry is simply dentistry with sedation. You can get a cleaning, filling, crown, and many other procedures with sedation dentistry. Most forms of sedation dentistry are "awake sedation," which means they aren't designed to make you fall asleep like general anesthesia, but many patients become so relaxed that they fall into a light sleep.
Inhalation sedation dentistry is the most common type, and you may know it as "laughing gas." If you choose inhalation sedation, you breathe a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen during the procedure to keep you sedated. If you can't do nitrous oxide, or you need additional sedation, the dentist may prescribe a sedative pill, such as valium.
Finally, if you have high levels of anxiety, ask about IV sedation. With IV sedation, the sedative is delivered via an IV. It is strong, but still not designed to make you fall asleep.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Sedation Dentistry?
You may be a good candidate for sedation dentistry if you have dental anxiety, which prevents you from visiting the dentist. Avoiding the dentist may increase your risk of complications. If a complication does arise, it will only continue to worsen without dental treatment. For example, a small cavity can eventually destroy most of the tooth or cause an infection.
You may also be a good candidate if you are undergoing an extreme procedure, such as dental veneers or dental crowns. The sedation keeps you calm and relaxed, which also makes it easier for the dentist to keep you in the chair longer for longer procedures.
What Types of Sedation Is Right for You?
If you don't have someone to drive you home, and/or you need to go to work or another engagement after the dentist appointment, choose inhalation sedation. Once you stop inhaling the nitrous oxide, your body quickly flushes it, getting you back to normal ASAP.
Oral sedation and IV sedation leave you loopy after the treatment, so you can't drive, and you should just go back home to rest. If you don't do well with certain sedatives, talk to your dentist. They may be able to prescribe another or offer an alternative like nitrous oxide.
Sedation dentistry is a great way to feel relaxed and stress-free at the dentist. It can be the difference between treating a small cavity and a big cavity. If you would like to know more, ask a dentist in your area about sedation dentistry.
Share