Types of Sedation Dentistry

If you have any dental anxiety, it’s completely understandable that you may have avoided your dentist for quite some time. If you are currently having dental problems, the first step you need to take is to fix the problem. Sedation dentistry can extremely helpful if it’s been a while since your last dental visit or if you need to have a lot of work done. The best thing you can do is to visit your dentist, let them know about your anxiety, and see what they can do for you. If your current dentist does not offer sedation dentistry as an option, ask him. He may not be able to offer sedation dentistry, but can refer you to another dentist who does.

There are many different types of sedation dentistry available. Most patients benefit the most from oral sedation, with either nitrous oxide or an anti-anxiety medication taken prior to the procedure. The type of sedation dentistry your dentist uses depends on the severity of your dental anxiety and the procedure(s) to be completed.

• Oral Sedation. When your dentist refers to oral sedation, he is typically referring to either inhaling nitrous oxide gas or taking an oral anti-anxiety medication. The pill would be taken either the night before or 30 minutes before the dental procedure. Since oral sedation doesn’t offer pain relief, a local anesthetic may also be administered.
• IV Sedation. IV sedation dentistry will keep you conscious throughout the procedure but, like oral sedation, leave you with little, if any, memory of the procedure. IV sedation dentistry takes the anxiety of the dental procedure away, which can allow you to get a long dental procedure or multiple procedures done at once: without you realizing how much is being done. IV sedation also doesn’t offer pain relief, so a local anesthetic may be administered.

With sedation dentistry, you want to be sure that you trust your dentist. You want to be sure that your dentist is certified in sedation dentistry and that you discuss all risks, benefits, and concerns with him before you start.