Sedation dentistry or sleep dentistry is often a solution for patients who are anxious or afraid of undergoing dental procedures. The local anesthesia might numb the sight of the procedure, but sedation puts you in a state of sleep-like relaxation so that you don’t feel the pain and discomfort and the procedure can go through without panic and anxiety.
What is Dental sedation?
According to the dentist in Port Charlotte, FL, dental sedation is a concept used during the dental procedure and makes the patients comfortable during longer procedures. Dental sedation is not a part of the pain management that your dentist will give you as numbing agents will be doing that part of the procedure. If getting a shot in your gums is frightening, dental sedation can calm you enough to receive a shot. With certain types of sedation, you may not even remember anything about the procedure, says the dentist in Port Charlotte.
Types of Sedation Dentistry
- Laughing Gas
Nitrous oxide which is more commonly known as laughing gas is used for relaxing the patients during the dental procedures. You will feel conscious while taking the laughing gas, but will be relaxed during the procedure. The gas wears off quickly so you can drive back home safely on your own. Once you stop breathing the gas, the effect of sedation wears off. The dentist gives a nose apparatus through which you can breathe the gas. The effect is mild, but you will feel sedated within 30 seconds. Some patients are relaxed enough with laughing gas and don’t need other forms of sedation.
- Oral Sedation
According to the dentist in 33952, oral sedation is also known as conscious sedation and it involves taking a prescribed dose of sedative before the procedure begins. You may be asked to take a pill the night before and a pill an hour before the procedure. You will be considerably awake during the procedure, but significantly relaxed so that you don’t feel pain and discomfort. Patients with a higher level of anxiety benefit from this type of sedation.
Though you are almost awake during the procedure, most patients remember very little about the procedure or nothing about the procedure. The effect of sedation will be worn off by the next day but you will need someone who can drive you back to the home, so plan to come with a friend or a family member, says the dentist near 33952.
IV Sedation
The IV Sedation has a few variations. The twilight IV sedation is the one that makes you feel sleepy but you are aware of the surroundings. However, you may not remember anything about the procedure once it is over. You won’t be completely unconscious and the dentist can wake you up if he wants. Another option is general anesthesia, which is comparatively uncommon for sleep dentistry. It is used only when significant oral surgery needs to be performed. It will make you unconscious and fall asleep and you would have hardly any memory of the procedure performed. This type of sedation happens only in the hospital and specialized clinic with a nurse or anesthetist or anesthesiologist.
According to experts, the Sedation Dentistry in Port Charlotte, FL can only be performed by the dentists who are trained for using them. Laughing gas is the only sedation that can be given by almost all dentists. But for any type of deep sedation or general anesthesia, a dentist needs to go through the complete special program about deep sedation.
Do I Need Sedation Dentistry?
Talk to the dentist about your anxiety and fears about the dental procedures during the initial appointment. The dentist will recommend the right type of sedation appropriate for your specific case. Sometimes, people with sensitive nerves and small mouths can also need sedation as the procedure can cause more pain and discomfort in these patients. Other patients may need sedation for overcoming anxiety and fear linked with dental procedures.
Sedation dentistry is a common way of fighting the anxiety, people face while seeing the dentist and undergoing a dental procedure. Instead of avoiding the dentist, go ahead with the help of sedation dentistry.