Regular dental care is essential to maintain your oral health. However, the thought of receiving lengthy dental treatment leaves many patients anxious. If you experience anxiety during dental procedures, you should consider sedation dentistry. Sedation dentistry helps concerned patients feel calm during dental procedures. Scroll down to learn more about what to expect in sedation dentistry.
What is Sedation Dentistry?
Sedation dentistry is a way to help anxiety-stricken patients feel calm and relaxed during the dental process. Dental professionals use different levels of sedation to reduce your fears and stress. Here is a breakdown of the types of sedation dentistry and what to expect in sedation dentistry in each type:
Nitrous Oxide: Patients inhale nitrous oxide gas, producing a calming effect within five minutes. Your dental professionals regulate the dosage of your sedation. After the procedure, you get pure oxygen to flush the nitrous oxide gas out of your system.
Oral Conscious Sedation: During oral conscious sedation, you receive a sedative medication before your treatment. You could even fall asleep during the treatment, but you can still communicate with your dentist when necessary.
Intravenous (IV) Sedation: Intravenous (IV) sedation is usually given to patients with severe anxiety issues. Most of them who receive intravenous sedation fall asleep and have no memory of the procedure when they gain consciousness.
What Happens Before the Procedure?
During your initial appointment, you should be prepared with your medical history and bring up any questions you have regarding sedation dentistry. Talk about your dental concerns, sedation options and most importantly what to expect in sedation dentistry with your dentist. Your dentists will collect all the relevant information about your health history and make sedation recommendations based on your requirements. Your dentists might also ask you about routine medications or blood thinners that you are taking. In most cases, they might also ask you to skip the medicines as they could interfere with your dental procedure.
What Happens During the Procedure?
Here is what to expect in sedation dentistry. During your dental operation, your dentist gives you sedative medications before the process. Besides this, you also receive local anesthesia to numb your teeth and gums. The impact of sedation may vary from one patient to another, but most patients feel groggy and overcome negative feelings throughout the procedure.
What Happens After the Procedure?
Once you are done with your treatment, your dentist checks your blood pressure, pulse rate and breathing before letting you leave the clinic. As far as the impact of sedation medications is concerned, it normally wears off quickly, and recovery occurs rapidly. However, some side effects may last throughout the day. You might feel sleepy and lethargic for the rest of the day. It would be best if you avoid strenuous activities and work until your side effects subside.
Bottomline
Sedation dentistry is the best option for all patients struggling with intense dental fears and anxiety. You can enjoy a stress-free dental procedure and maintain a healthy smile with sedation dentistry. Talk to the dental professionals at Perio Dental. These professionals will determine if sedation dentistry is the right choice for you and what to expect in sedation dentistry. Contact us today and book your appointment!