Dental fear or anxiety is one of the most prevalent issues faced by mankind today. Regardless of age and gender, the condition prevents you from getting the right dental treatments. Thankfully, you can beat this problem now. Courtesy of sedation dentistry – you can finally face your dentist or get any treatments with ease.

Sedation dentistry is considered as the most in-demand treatment for anxious patients. This refers to the use of pharmacological substances that can relax a patient during the treatment. Sedation dentistry uses sedatives, including tranquilizers, anti-anxiety drugs, depressants and nitrous oxide. All these can provide comfort to the patient’s central nervous system. Central nervous system has different degrees with different level of relaxation needed. This can range from minimal to deep sedation.

Based on experts, there are different levels involved in sedation.

First is the minimal sedation. This keeps the patients relax but awake during the entire treatment. Therefore, they can readily respond to physical stimulation. Second is the moderate sedation. This is often called by dentists as conscious sedation. In this level of sedation, dental patients are more relaxed. However, the effect of the sedation may result to slurring of words when speaking and will cause you not to remember the procedure done by your dentist. Another level of sedation is the deep sedation. This leaves the patient on the edge of consciousness but still awake throughout the treatment. This makes you unresponsive to any stimulation. The last sedation level is the general anesthesia. This leaves you completely unconscious.

Sedation dentistry uses pharmacological agents. These can be obtained in two routes: enteral or parenteral. The enteral route entails medication absorption through your enteric membranes, digestive tract and rectum. The medications of this route can be inserted rectally or swallowed and absorbed by the oral cavity. Contrary, parenteral route involves administration of sedative drugs – not absorption. This includes inhalation, intramuscular and intravenous.

Sedation Dentistry Types & Uses

There are several types of sedation used in dentistry. All these methods provide relaxing and anxiety-free experience to patients. Basically, the type of sedation you receive is based on the treatment. Nevertheless, all these allow anxious patients to receive their rightful treatments with ease. Among the common types of sedation you can enjoy are as follows:

• Oral Sedation – Oral sedation can be taken from minimal to moderate. This depends on the total dose given. For minimal sedation, you can take a pill, like halcion. This pill will make you drowsy but awake. If you are applied with moderate sedation, contrary, you will receive larger dose which will make you sleepy during the procedure.

• Inhaled Minimal Sedation – Also known as laughing gas, inhaled minimal sedation utilizes oxygen and a mask. The mask is placed to the patient’s nose which helps you inhale the sedative drug. Inhaled minimal sedation’s effect wears off quickly. Therefore, you can immediately leave the clinic right after the treatment.

• IV Sedation – IV Sedation has a moderate level of dose of sedative drug. This is administered through a vein. Based on one of our emergency dentists , this sedation works quickly compared to others. This is because they can continually adjust the sedation level applied to the patient.

• General Anesthesia – General anesthesia is referred as deep sedation. The sedative drug applied is high which makes you totally unconscious throughout the treatment. Since the effect of this drug doesn’t go away quickly, it leaves you unconscious for hours.

Other well-known types of sedation used in dentistry are Computer-Generated Anesthesia, Chloral Hydrate Sedation, Conscious Sedation, Electronic Anesthesia, DentiPatch and the likes.

How Can Sedation Dentistry Benefit You?

Sedation dentistry is indeed one of the most in-demand treatments. Aside from its effects to anxious patients, this offers benefits to the doctors too. Sedation dentistry promotes convenience to dentists especially in delivering the treatment. This is the best way to provide the right dental care for patients without fretfulness.

With sedation dentistry, you can enjoy patient relaxation, movement control, control of gag reflex and time-saving.

Regardless of chosen sedation type, you should be aware that these treatments should be administered by a professional dentist. The numbing medication will help you relax while your dentist works with your dental illness.