Cosmetic Dentistry » Sedation Dentistry

Sedation Dentistry Methods

admin — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:13:32 +0000

Sedation dentistry has become an increasingly popular choice for consumers to choose that have an inherent fear or phobia of the dentist. The methods used for sedation dentistry vary in their purpose and strength of sedation. Your dentist will choose the method that best suits your oral hygiene needs and amount of anxiety built-up regarding the procedure.

What Are the Levels of Dental Sedation?

There are three general levels of sedation that include mild, moderate, and deep which can be achieved through using varying sedatives. Your dentist will choose the amount of sedation that is appropriate for your upcoming visit, but will also require your full medical history and current medications to ensure that the planned sedation method is compatible with your medical history.

What is Anxiolysis?

Anxiolysis is the term used to refer to mild dental sedation and is primarily used to relieve patient anxiety. One of the common methods used to achieve mild sedation is for your sedation dentist to use nitrious oxide or “lauging gas” which is also referred to as inhalation analgesia. When your dentist uses this method, you receive it prior to your dental procedure being conducted via a nose-hood through which the nitrous oxide is administered prior to and during your dental treatment. The nitrous oxide will normally provide the patient with an overall feeling of well-being with a bit of tingling and numbness. Your dentist can also achieve anxilysis through the use of pills.

What is Moderate Dental Sedation?

Moderate dental sedation refers to the patient experiencing a depressed level of consciousness and is one of the more common methods popular for sedation dentists to use. It is also referred to as oral conscious sedation (OSCS). It achieves a moderate sedation by using oral medication that the patient takes prior to the appointment. It is used to produce a diminished awareness of pain and other senses by the patient and is sometimes referred to as “Twighlight Sleep”. When you undergo this form of sedation, you will need to have a responsible adult take you to and from your dentist appointment. You may also be required to take additional medication after your appointment depending on how extensive of a wellness or cosmetic dental procedure that you are getting.

What is Intravenous Sedation?

Intravenous sedation is similar to oral sedation in that it makes you feel like you are really asleep during your sedation dental procedure. The largest difference is that intraveneous sedation is administered via IV and has a near-simultaneous effect on the patient. This method is not popular with patients who have phobias or fear of needles, but many patients believe the dental procedure occures much more quickly when using the intravenous option for their dental sedation.

What is Deep Sedation?

Deep sedation is not normally used in sedation dentistry or a sedation dentistry method because it places the patient in a depressed consciousness where they may not breathe independently, may be unable to respond to verbal/physical stimulation, and may lose some of their reflexes. When a patient undergoes deep sedation, many times it has to be achieved with an IV or general anesthesia meds which may result in after-effects for a number of hours after the sedation is complete. General anesthesia is also not a common method used for dental sedation unless a patient has an intrusive dental surgery or procedure need.

No matter what type of dental sedation method you choose to undergo, you will need to ensure a responsible adult or caregiver is pre-arranged to drive you to and from your dental appointment. Your dentist will also recommend a timeframe that your escort remain with you after returning home from your appointment.

What is Dental Conscious Sedation?

admin — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:14:06 +0000

A growing trend in available cosmetic and wellness dental procedures has been the offering of conscious sedation methods for patients that have an inherent fear of the dentist. Conscious sedation refers to when your dental care provider uses medication, IV, or inhaled gas to sedate the patient prior to undergoing dental care treatment.

Why Consider Dental Conscious Sedation?

Many people consider visiting a dentist who offers conscious sedation due to an inherent fear of seeing the dentist and do not cope well with using relaxation techniques or open discussions with their dentist about the upcoming procedure(s). Some patients even forgo going to the dentist altogether due to their anxiety or fear of pain for the most basic dental procedures. The procedure is commonly referred to as “Twighlight Sleep” so the patient is not unconcious but commonly does not “remember” the dental procedure occurring.

How is Conscious Sedation Performed?

There are three common types of methods used when you undergo conscious sedation: intraveneous drugs (IV’s), oral medications, and laughing gas (nitrous oxide). Many sedation dentists will prefer conducting the procedure using oral medication or laughing gas since the patient is not unconcious and it is considered safer as compared to sedation methods which knock you out. The specific type of sedation conducted will depend on your dentist and the procedure that you are going to undergo.

What are the Potential Side Effects for Conscious Sedation?

IV’s and medication sedation methods can result in side effects on subsequent days such as insomnia after undergoing conscious sedation procedures with your dentist. For this reason, some patients and/or dentists prefer to use nitrous oxide as their sedation method to minimize any side effects from treatment. Other potential negatives for conscious sedation include having to get someone to drive you to and from the dentist. The effectiveness of various conscious sedation methods vary based on the patient’s health, body weight, and metabolism.

How Does Sedation Dentistry Work?

admin — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 05:59:24 +0000

Sedation dentistry is the term used to describe a dentist who uses sedation in order to provide an anxiety-free dental experience for patients that are receiving dental treatment. It is commonly used for patients who are too afraid to visit the dentist due to dental phobia, or fear of dental treatment which prevents many people from receiving the necessary routine dental care required in order to maintain good oral hygiene.

How Does Sedation Work?

The term sedation refers to the process that is used to induce a relaxed, calm state of the body and mind through the use of sedatives. Over time, the IV (intravenous) sedation that used injection into your blood stream via your hand or arm was the primary method used by dentists. This has evolved to also include sedation drugs (nitrous oxide, tranquillizers, depressants, anti-anxiety meds, and so froth) that can be given to the patient in a variety of methods. These additional methods give patients an alternative to inhaling nitrous oxide or “laughing gas” or taking an IV. The ultimate goal of modern-day sedation techniques is to provide as relaxing of an environment as possible for the patient.

Why is Oral Sedation Popular?

Oral sedation dentistry is one of the most common techniques used to help patients that have an inherent fear of the dentist to be able to seek the treatment that they need while quelling their fear of the dentist. Since oral sedation does not use needles with an IV, the patients do not have the added fear of seeing blood with an IV and the medications that are administered to the patient make them feel as though they sleep through the treatment many times. Oral sedation, however, does keep the patient in a state of consciousness for their safety. Sedation techniques do not take the place of the dentist having to use a local anesthetic injection for tooth extraction or other procedures that may induce pain in the patent’s mouth. They can be used in conjunction with local anesthetics, but sedation dentists will apply the anesthetic after the patient has already been sedated in order to avoid additional anxiety build-up in the patient.

Getting to Your Sedation Dentistry Appointment

When you are planning on seeking treatment from a sedation dentist, an important planning consideration that you should keep in mind is arranging for a responsible adult to be available to drive you to and from the appointment. Most sedation dentists will reccomend that the adult remain with you for a timeframe of two to four house afer the appointment in order to help you get through the effects of the sedation and to bring you back to the dentist in the event of any complications after receiving your treatment. Some sedation medications will be required to be take before you go to the dentist, so ensure you have a ride going to your appointment before taking any of the prescribed medication.

How Does Sedation Dentistry Benefit You?

Sedation dentistry benefits patients who have a lot of anxiety or fear about seeing the dentist. It also has the benefit of making you feel like the procedure you are undergoing only lasts for a short time frame, even if it takes several hours to complete. This allows the dentist to complete complex procedures such as a cosmetic smile makeover, a mouth reconstruction, or other cosmetic dental procedures in less total appointments than if you were not undergoing sedation. You do need to verify what your insurance will cover before arranging a sedation dentist appointment. If the sedation will permit your dentist to complete a procedure in less time or number of appointments, your dental health insurance will be more likely to cover the sedation procedure.