Post

If you’re afraid of going to the dentist due to potential pain or discomfort, there are several sedation options to help you. A qualified IV sedation dentist in Franklin can make the experience seem less daunting and offer you the dental care your mouth so badly needs.

Nowadays, sedation dentistry has become much more common, but some individuals are still reluctant to try it. In this article, we’ll explain the various styles of dental sedation available today, when issues may arise, and what side effects may emerge.

What Is Sedation Dentistry?  

Dental sedation is a series of techniques used by dental professionals to calm down patients or make them feel more comfortable during a specific procedure, from removing a cavity to getting a dental implant. Under this term, we refer to a low level of sedation, where you’re still awake but feeling carefree.

That’s the difference with general anesthesia used for oral surgery, where the patients need to be fully asleep during the process. Because of that, it’s often called “twilight sleep.”

Short-term amnesia brought on by dental sedation causes insensitivity to pain but not unconsciousness. One well-known example is laughing gas, or nitrous oxide, which dentists administer to their patients during procedures like crown replacements and root canals.

Besides laughing gas, other dental sedation techniques exist, and each has a distinct function and potency. Depending on a number of criteria, your dentist will select the one that is best for you. These include:  

• The dental operation being carried out (such as extraction of wisdom teeth);

• How long the dental procedure takes;

• The patient’s degree of dental anxiety.

Sedation dentistry is beneficial for people of all ages, not only kids. Dentists frequently suggest this choice to people who have:

• Fear of going to the dentist

• Fear of needles or shots (aichmophobia)

• Past history of a painful dental procedure

• Incapacity to tolerate dental office noises or odors

• Having teeth that are sensitive

• Excessively sensitive gag reflex

• Feeling claustrophobic in the dental chair

• Less sensitivity to local anesthetics

• Inability to control movement

• Having special needs, be it physical, cognitive, or behavioral.  

Levels of Dental Sedation

The American Dental Association states that a dentist has the option to use any one of the following sedative techniques:  

• Minimal sedation, during which patients are conscious but at ease  

• Moderate sedation, where patients are awake but may slur their words and have mild memory loss.  

• Deep sedation, where the patient is almost unconscious but has the ability to wake up.

• General anesthesia, where patients are rendered completely unconscious.

Types of Dental Sedation

Before beginning a procedure, the sedation dentist must determine which kind of dental anesthesia is best for calming the patient. The following are the most popular forms of sedation used during dental procedures:

Inhalation Sedation

Nitrous oxide, or “laughing gas,” is an agent that, when inhaled, allows patients to relax for small procedures like a same-day crown placement. Within three to five minutes of breathing in nitrous oxide through a mask or nosepiece, you start to feel calmer.

Throughout your procedure, your dentist will monitor the level of sedation you receive and will change the dosage as needed. Following your procedure, your dentist will give you pure oxygen to help your body rid itself of nitrous oxide.

Nitrous oxide wears off quickly, so you can resume your normal routine as soon as you leave the dentist's office.

Oral Sedation

When using oral conscious sedation, you will typically take sedative pills from your dentist approximately an hour before the procedure starts. These pills, such as diazepam, make you feel less anxious and a bit sleepy. Other commonly used medications are zaleplon and lorazepam.

When it comes to pediatric dentistry, dentists may suggest using liquid sedation, like midazolam oral syrup.

It is called conscious sedation because, despite feeling drowsy, you will be able to talk with the dentist throughout the procedure and will be gently prodded to wakefulness. You will still require a friend or family member to drive you home following your procedure because oral sedation temporarily impairs your memory and motor skills.

Intravenous Sedation

The most profound conscious sedation offered in a dental office setting is IV sedation. It contains medications that can induce different states of unconsciousness in patients, and it is usually reserved for more involved dental operations like multiple extractions or dental surgery.

Among the frequently prescribed pharmaceuticals for IV sedation are lorazepam, midazolam, and diazepam. Via an IV line, the sedative drugs are administered straight to your bloodstream.

Meanwhile, the dentist will monitor your blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and heart rate constantly, changing the dosage at any time if needed. Most patients receiving IV sedation dentistry go to sleep, and when they wake up, they usually remember very little about their procedure.

How Long Does Dental Sedation Last?  

The duration of dental sedation’s effects depends on the length of the procedure done, the patient’s metabolism, and the dosage used. A physician considers all of these factors to precisely calculate the appropriate amount of sedative for your circumstances.  

Still, nitrous oxide wears off minutes after inhalation, while oral and IV sedation take at least one to two hours to do so.

FAQ: Are There Side Effects from Dental Sedation?

Although dental sedation is very safe, post-treatment symptoms like sleepiness, headaches, nausea, and dizziness are common. The kind of anesthetic that’s used all affects that.

Some tips to prevent unwanted side effects are resting before and after the treatments, refraining from drinking alcohol, and consulting with your dental professional regarding any medications you currently take.

Find an Experienced IV Sedation Dentist in Franklin

If you suffer from dental anxiety, dental sedation offers a tool to undergo the treatment you need without suffering excessively. There are various sedation options that can be catered to your circumstances.

A dental professional from Spring Hill Smiles will find the right one for you, depending on the procedure at hand and your specific circumstances. If you’re interested in learning more, give us a call!