What Are the Benefits of Sedation Dentistry?

In dentistry, several dental procedures can subject you to intense pain. The stakes are higher if you are already experiencing dental pain before treatment. Sedation dentistry near you heightens your comfort and increases the dentist’s effectiveness in your treatment.

 What Is Sedation Dentistry?

It entails using certain medications to calm and relax you before a dental procedure. Ideally, dentists administer sedation dentistry in Canton to patients undergoing invasive procedures that can cause discomfort and pain. The goal of the sedatives is to relieve stress and pain during dental procedures.

How Does Sedation Dentistry Work?

Sedation at Danner Dental comes in different types and levels. The levels of sedation are either mild, moderate, or deep. Our dentists are careful to administer different levels to patients depending on their current health status and the nature of the dental procedure underway, among other factors. The good news is that dentists can always heighten and lower the levels of sedation while your treatment continues.

The types of sedation dentistry categorize the medicine based on their means of administration and the level of sedation. They are:

1. Inhaled sedation – entails breathing in laughing gas through a mask over your face and mouth. Inhaled sedation is a mild to moderate sedative. The dentist can control the level of this sedation during your procedure by increasing or lowering the concentration of oxygen you inhale.
2. Oral sedation – entails taking a pill or tablet about an hour before your dental procedure. Oral sedation works as a mild and moderate sedative. The dentist does not have much control over the sedation level after you have taken the medicine. However, altering the dosage before you swallow the sedative is a way to impact the sedation level.
3. Intravenous (IV) sedation – involves administering the sedating medication directly into your bloodstream through the veins. It works as a moderate to deep sedative. IV sedation is the fastest sedation since it goes straight into your blood. It makes it more appealing for treating dental emergencies.
4. General anesthesia – is the deepest form of sedation that makes you unconscious throughout your treatment. It is only ideal for intense, invasive, and long procedures. However, many dental experts avoid using this type of sedation as it can bring about some complications for patients.

When Do Dentists Administer Sedation Dentistry?

A dentist in Canton, OH, will use sedatives before your treatment under some of the following conditions:

1. Dental anxiety and phobias – some patients suffer from intense anxiety and phobia related to dental procedures. It can hinder the success of a dental process because it causes you to be uneasy and unsteady during the treatment.
2. Invasive dental procedures – sedation is necessary for invasive treatment protocols like those involving oral surgery or drilling teeth.
3. Long treatments – some procedures take a while to complete. Sitting still with your mouth open for long periods can be difficult and rather uncomfortable without sedation dentistry.
4. For multiple dental procedures – sedation dentistry is necessary if you are ever in a situation where you must undergo many treatments in one dental sitting.
5. Some groups of patients – like children, the elderly, or those with underlying health problems like Tourette syndrome or Autism spectrum disorder need special care when undergoing dental procedures.

Benefits of Using Sedation Dentistry

Sedation dentistry has advantages for dental experts as much as for patients. Some of the reasons why sedation dentistry is valuable in practicing dental care are:

1. Dental anxiety – many patients hesitate to seek dental care services because of crippling dental anxiety.
2. Managing gag reflexes – although gag reflexes are necessary as a defense mechanism in your body, they can limit effectiveness in dentistry. Some patients have strong gag reflexes, making it difficult to perform any procedure.
3. It calms your mind and body – you do not have to feel uneasy in the dentist’s chair until your treatment ends.
4. Increases precision – dentists need as much help as they can get to work optimally and deliver incredible results because they work in tight, small corners of the mouth.
5. Anterograde amnesia – is a state where you have little or no recollection of the event of your treatment. This advantage prevents your brain from forming new traumatic memories during dental work.