Your Sedation Dentistry Guide
Posted on: 14 October 2022
Many people avoid the dentist because they have some anxiety. However, sedation dentistry can help. Sedatives leave you feeling calm and relaxed, so you can get through your appointment fast and without much stress. If you would like to know more about sedation dentistry, keep reading.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Sedation Dentistry?
Anyone with dental anxiety could be a good candidate for sedation dentistry. The sedation helps ease and calm your body and mind. This allows you to relax in the chair. Many people get so comfortable they fall asleep. However, if you do fall asleep, you can be easily roused by the dentist.
You may also be a good candidate if you have a long procedure scheduled. Sedation can also make the time seem like it's flying by. This makes long appointments easier for both you and the dentist. After the appointment, you'll have little to no memory of the appointment, which can further help reduce future dental anxiety.
What Sedation Options Are Available?
The common sedation options are:
- Inhalation
- Oral
- IV
You may know inhalation sedation as "laughing gas." During the procedure, you continuously inhale a mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide. The dentist can adjust the levels accordingly to increase or decrease the sedation.
Oral sedation and IV sedation are a little stronger. With oral sedation, you take a pill before the appointment. This pill leaves you calm and relaxed much like laughing gas. During IV sedation, the sedative is administered via an IV. You may feel sleepy and even fall asleep, but the sedation doesn't "knock you out" like general anesthesia. Your dentist may recommend a combination of sedation options.
Can You Go to Work After the Appointment?
Depending on the procedure, you may just want to go home. For example, root canal treatment and surgical extraction can lead to tenderness. If you used oral or IV sedation, you should go right home after the appointment.
In fact, you won't even be allowed to drive yourself because you'll be too groggy from the lingering effects. If you used inhalation sedation, it's out of your system fast, so you can drive home or go to work after the procedure.
Sedation dentistry is a great way to reduce dental anxiety. It leaves you with little to no memory, and time seems to fly by while you're in the dental chair. If you would like to know more about sedation dentistry, contact a dentist in your area.
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