Sedation Dentistry – Everything You Need to Know

Sedation dentistry is the perfect remedy for anyone that suffers from dental anxiety. If the thought of your next dentist appointment makes your stomach churn or puts you in a state of disarray, you need to consider using an anesthetic to put you at ease to have your teeth cleaned or have your aching tooth extracted. But what exactly is sedation dentistry? Keep reading for more details.

Sedation Dentistry Explained

This refers to the use of medication to help patients relax. This is something that an authorized dentist needs to do. Most people refer to it as sleep dentistry, although it is not valid except for anesthesia cases. The sedation used varies and could be categorized as follows:

• Minimal sedation. This is the most common and often involves a situation where the patient is relaxed but fully awake
• Moderate sedation. This is the second category where the medication used may be slightly higher. While the patient is not fully awake, they are also not asleep. They are likely to slur in their speech and may not have much memory about the dental procedure performed on them
• Deep sedation. This is much deeper levels of medication, and the patient usually get in and out of consciousness, but they are still in a position where they can be pulled back
• General Anesthetic. This is the strongest of all forms of dental sedation because the patient is wholly unconscious. It is used majorly in dental surgical procedures where no movement by the patient is needed.

Determining Patients that are Candidates for Sedation

Not all patients need dental sedation. However, you must consult the dentist before taking any medication before the dental procedure. In addition, it is important to have a proper medical analysis before undergoing any dental sedation. The doctor needs to look at the medical history and record it thoroughly before recommending any sedation. In some cases, you may even be required to get a medical clearance from your physician before using dental sedation.

Type of Dental Sedation

Now that you understand a lot more about dental sedation, you may want to know what options are available. Interestingly, these vary and may be decided by the dentists based on the procedure performed. Common or popular options include:

• Laughing gas. It is the most common and effective sedation technique used in dental offices
• IV sedation
• Enteral sedation
• General anesthesia

Never use any sedation without the dentist’s approval, though. Contact River Valley Smile Center at 479.646.0706 or visit us on Facebook for advice on sedation dentistry.