According to Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, approximately 30-40 million Americans experience from some level of dental stress and anxiety. If you’re a person het very nervous at the thought of going to the dental professional, there’s great information for you. Sedation or “sleep” dental care can assist you get the dental treatment you need without being paralyzed by the thought of going to the dentist and having anxiety and feeling disabling.
Not sure exactly what type of sedation is right for you? There are several levels of sedation that can be used by your dentist. Talk to your dentist to find out which option is best suited for you. You can select anywhre from light to heavy sedation. Light or mild sedation will help you feel relaxed and calm yet at the same time you are awake and aware of what is going on. Heavy or deep sedation will put you to sleep and you are unaware of any procedures being done on you.
What is Sedation or Sleep Dentistry?
Sleep dentistry is a term utilized at dental offices that offer IV sedation or general anesthesia or both. This type of sedation is suitable for individuals with extreme dental anxiety. With IV sedation, you won’t feel, hear, taste or smell anything and you will not remember any of the procedure being done. However, sometimes you may be conscious enough to hear your dentist. But with general anesthesia, you are completely under and you are completely asleep and unaware.
Light to moderate forms of dental sedation is called conscious sedation. This includes nitrous oxide, which is administered to the patient with a mask and oral sedation is when your denitst prescribes a pill taken by mouth. With conscious sedation, you are awake and aware of your environment but you are also very relaxed.
Dental sedation is not a painkiller. To help with pain, your sedation dentist will still need to give you a local anesthetic like novocaine to numb the areas that he or she will be treating.
Here is a video you can watch about sedation dentistry:
By Ladan Zinati
A “Dream Remedy” for Oral Anxiety? | St James Dental Group
September 16, 2013[…] Read More on Dental Anxiety […]