If you are one of the many people crippled by dental anxiety, your primary question when visiting the dentist is "Will this hurt?" Luckily, advances in sedation dentistry enable you to easily endure procedures historically known for their painfulness. Unfortunately, even understanding that a procedure will not be painful does not relieve many patients' anxiety. If you are one of those, here is more information to help you understand the painless nature of the four types of sedation dentistry.
Dentists now rely on four types of sedation dentistry to provide their patients with a more comfortable experience. These include general anesthesia, IV sedation, oral sedation, and nitrous oxide sedation. The different properties of these types enable dentists to meet the various needs of their patients.
Patients who receive dental treatments under general anesthesia experience total loss of consciousness. In this state, the patient will not see or hear anything while they are "under," and upon waking, they will not remember anything. For people with dental phobia or high levels of anxiety, or who are undergoing lengthy or very invasive procedures, general anesthesia is a good option.
This type of sedation dentistry places patients in a drowsy state while maintaining consciousness. The level of sedation can be adjusted based on the patient's levels of anxiety and pain tolerance and the type of procedure that is being performed. With lower sedation levels, the patient remains responsive, while deeper levels would elicit a response only to pain or repetition of stimuli.
IV sedation includes the following benefits:
Oral sedation is very similar to IV sedation. Both relax the patient, create amnesia, and dull perception during the procedure. Oral sedation generally requires more time to take effect and can last much longer. IV sedation makes it easier to control levels of dosage. While the two approaches are similar, IV sedation dentistry is widely considered more efficient and safer.
Also known as laughing gas, nitrous oxide has been used widely in dentists' offices for many years and is known to be an effective and safe form of sedation dentistry. This gas combines oxygen and nitrogen to form a mixture that relaxes you when you inhale it. It does not put you to sleep, but it does have a calming effect that minimizes pain and creates a feeling of euphoria which makes the overall experience more enjoyable. Nitrous oxide is considered a less intensive form of sedation dentistry, as you are able to drive yourself home from your dental visit, whereas other forms of sedation require you to have someone else drive.
If you experience dental anxiety, you should speak with your dentist about the benefits of sedation dentistry. Do not allow your fears to interfere with your oral health!
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