Sedation Dentistry
Dental Anxiety? Try Sedation Dentistry
Sedation dentistry uses medication to help patients relax during dental procedures. Oral sedation dentistry is a medical procedure involving the administration of oral sedative drugs, generally to facilitate a dental procedure and reduce patients fear and anxiety related to the experience. Oral sedation is one of the available methods of conscious sedation dentistry, along with inhalation sedation (nitrous oxide) and conscious intravenous sedation. Drugs which can be used for sedation include diazepam, triazolam, zaleplon, lorazepam, and hydroxyzine. Although this method is commonly referred to as sleep dentistry, patients using sedation are generally awake. Ladd Dental Group offers three levels of sedation to fit your individual needs. Sedation can come through the form of laughing gas, oral sedation, and IV sedation. Generally, a local anesthetic will also be applied at the site of dental work.
Am I eligible for Sedation Dentistry?
Would you rather endure a toothache than step into a dentist’s office? If so, sedation dentistry may be for you. Sedation dentistry is ideal for patients who have a low pain threshold, cannot sit still in a dentist’s chair, have very sensitive teeth or have a bad gag reflex. Children, as well as adults, can benefit from sedation. For more information on sedation dentistry or to see if it is right for you and your family, call any of our Ladd Dental offices today.
Benefits of Sedation Dentistry
One of the major benefits of sedation dentistry is the illusion of time it provides. You may feel like your procedure only lasted a few minutes when it may have taken over an hour to perform. In addition, sedation dentistry addresses many fears that may keep you from visiting the dentist on a regular basis. Patients who choose sedation dentistry are more likely to receive the recommended care and increase their oral health. Dental patients with generalized anxiety, belonephobia (fear of needles and sharp instruments), prior dental trauma, or generalized fear of the dentist can take oral medication in order to reduce their anxieties. A variety of single and incremental dose protocols are used to medicate the patient as early as the day before treatment. Medication additionally helps reduce memory or the sights and smells of the dental office to avoid recall of any trauma. The sedative effect allows more dentistry to be completed in fewer appointments, as well as allowing complex procedures to be performed in less time.
While sedation dentistry is generally safe, you should first talk to your doctor if you are obese or have obstructive sleep apnea. Drug characteristics must be carefully considered when choosing the appropriate medication. Matching factors, such as where the drug is metabolized and any underlying diseases requires a good medical history and thorough knowledge of the drug's characteristics. All risk factors, individual characteristics, and procedural complexities can be taken into account in order to provide the best drug choice. Our dentist at Ladd Dental Group are up to date on sedation dentistry training to provide as safe of a procedure as possible. We will monitor your vital signs during the entire procedure and carry medication that is able to reverse the effects of the sedation if needed. For more information about our highyl trained sedation dentists, give us a call today!