Sedation dentistry can be a great tool for patients who have dental anxiety and fear of dental treatment, even a simple routine cleaning. A lot of dental providers offer some form of sedation to their patients and the types available vary from office to office. If you have some form of dental anxiety, talk to your dentist to see what options are available to you in their office.
How do I know if dental sedation is right for me?
Anxiety over dental treatment is incredibly common and if there is an option available that will help ease your fears and comfort you during treatment, it can be a great way to keep you calm and enable you to receive the treatment necessary to keep your mouth healthy. Patients who should consider sedation dentistry may regularly experience:
* Anxiety over going to the dentist
* Past traumatic dental experience
* Difficulty getting numb with local anesthesia
* Extremely sensitive teeth
* A fear of needles
* Dental work that requires longer appointments
Other patients that may consider some form of sedation for dental appointments are patients who suffer from other medical conditions that cause them to have trouble controlling their movements, like patients with Parkinson’s disease or cerebral palsy. Sedation allows the patient’s body to relax so that involuntary muscle movements do not impact dental treatment.
Sedation dentistry is really only appropriate for adult patients, those are the age of 18 so a pediatric office may offer some form of sedation dentistry that is appropriate for younger patients. Patients who are seeking sedation dentistry need to be sure to provide their dentist with an up-to-date list of medications and current medical conditions to be sure that nothing will interfere with the effectiveness of the sedation.
What are the types of sedation for dentistry?
There are a few forms of sedation dentistry available which include:
Oral sedatives: Benzodiazepines such as Valium, Diazepam, or Xanax are frequently used for oral sedation and are taken in pill form. Oral sedatives are administered 30 minutes to an hour prior to a dental appointment and are used in conjunction with a local anesthesia administered for pain management via injection at the site being treated.
Nitrous oxide: Laughing gas, or nitrous oxide, is inhaled throughout treatment and keeps the patient in the state of relaxation. Nitrous oxide takes effect immediately and is also used with a local anesthetic for pain management.
IV sedation: Intravenous sedation is a great option for patients with higher anxiety levels and is administered through a vein and takes effect very quickly. Your doctor will monitor your levels and adjust the dosage as needed throughout dental procedures. Local anesthesia is administered for pain management.
General anesthesia: General anesthesia renders the patient unconscious and is reserved for patients who could not manage treatment under other sedation methods. No local anesthesia is administered.
Sedation dentistry is a great way to effectively allow patients to endure dental treatment that may otherwise cause an extreme amount of anxiety. Keeping your mouth healthy is important not only to your oral health but also your overall health so if you think that sedation dentistry could help you, speak with your dentist to see what options are available.