All You Should Know About Sedation Dentistry

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Some people choose to endure excruciating pain from toothache than get the tooth extracted by a dentist. This usually results from their fear or anxiety about going to a dentist. Fortunately, sedation dentistry is a lifesaver. This alleviates all the fear and anxiety regarding seeing a dentist. Sedation dentistry has invasive methods and simple procedures according to the severity of your anxiety and fear.

Kids and sedation dentistry

Children are usually terrified and non-cooperative to dental procedures. A dentist applies to the child nitrous oxide alleviates the fear. It requires a pediatric dentist to offer oral sedation to children. For safety, an appropriate dose is administered to match the child’s age and weight. Apart from children, sedation dentistry is appropriate for people with situations including:

Pharyngeal reflex
Sensitive or delicate teeth
Low tolerance to pain
Excess anxiety to sit in the dentist’s chair
Significant and various dental procedures

Forms of sedation dentistry

The medication applied for sedation dentistry procedures is for alleviating patients’ fear and anxiety towards dental procedures. Sedation dentistry is also known as sleep dentistry since some procedures cause unconsciousness in patients. However, other forms of this dentistry treatment leave the patients fully aware of what is going on. The best Airdrie dentists understand the best sedation dentistry option to match your situation.

During general anesthesia, the patient is unconscious and asleep throughout the whole dental procedure. For deep sedation, you are on the border of unconsciousness but easily awakened. A patient won’t remember much about what happens during the dental procedure during moderate sedation. The lowest level of sedation is minimal sedation and you are fully awake but relaxed and at ease throughout the procedure.

Inhaled minimal sedation

This mildest form of sedation requires the patient inhaling nitrous oxide also known as laughing gas with a combination of oxygen. Inhaled minimal sedation makes you feel relaxed while giving the dentist full control to administer the appropriate sedation. This form of sedation is the only one where you can drive home safely after the procedure.

Moderate oral sedation

This form of sedation is applied to a patient orally in mild or moderate proportion. The dentist selects an appropriate dosage to match your condition. During mild oral sedation, you are given Halcion an hour before the procedure. This makes you feel drowsy but very relaxed during the procedure. In moderate oral sedation, a higher dose of Halcion is applied to make the patient fall asleep.

However, you can always wake up with a gentle shake. There is also IV moderate sedation taken through the vein. The dentist is very careful to apply the appropriate sedative to match your needs. This sedation works much faster compared to oral sedation. You don’t have to take IV sedation an hour before the dental procedure.

Prerequisites for sedation dentistry

All practicing dentists perform minimal sedation requiring the application of nitrous oxide or pills. The number of dentists who apply moderate sedation is also increasing. However, only a few dentists perform deep sedation and general anesthesia after completion of a dental accreditation program. Apart from applying general anesthesia and deep sedation, accreditation makes the dentist able to handle complex dental procedures for adults and children.

Safety regarding sedation dentistry

Knowing the various safety concerns regarding sedation dentistry is very important. a safe procedure requires administration by a professional and experienced Airdrie dentist. People with sleep apnea and obesity should first consult their physician before going for sedation. These are at risk of getting complications from anesthesia. You have to do your homework when selecting a dentist to ensure that they are well qualified and with industry experience to offer sedation dentistry.

Things to keep in mind before having a sedation dentistry procedure

Your medical history

Ensure that the dentist looks into your medical background. This allows the dentist to select the most appropriate sedation procedure safe for your condition. Equally important is for the dentist to be aware of any medications you are taking currently. Your medical history and current medication allow the dentist to apply the most appropriate procedure to give you the best results.

Ask for the sedative dose

A professional dentist applies the appropriate dosage matching your health condition and age. Ask the dentist to tell you the sedative dose you are to take. This allows crosschecking to ensure that the dose matches FDA recommendations.

Dentist expertise and experience

The success of your sedation dental procedure depends on the expertise and experience of the dentist. Therefore, never be afraid to ask the dentist about their professional expertise and the number of years in the industry. Some dentists display their academic credentials and industry recognitions throughout their office. This makes it easy to notice them without asking the dentist. It gives you peace of mind that you are to be taken cared of by an accomplished expert in the field.

Conclusion

Sedation dentistry is for adults and kids with anxiety and fear of dental procedures. Find an accomplished Airdrie dentist for the right procedure to fix your dental problem.