It may be the title of the Ramones’ best known song, but sedation isn’t just for punk rockers anymore.
It’s also for dentists and their patients. No one likes pain, and with their drills and needles many dentists have an undeserved reputation as torturers. For many people just sitting in a dentist’s chair can mean anything from mild nervousness to a full-fledged panic attack. Your first reaction may be to laugh, but for many people dental phobia means a lifetime of pain and toothaches.
It’s a pain they no longer have to endure thanks to Sedation Dentistry.
Sedation Dentistry refers to the practice of administering a sedative before a dental procedure. For some patients this can be as little as a whiff of nitrous oxide (Laughing Gas) while for others it can mean going all the way under general anesthesia. Whatever the method, it relies on the simple truth that a nervous patient is more likely to have a bad experience than a relaxed one.
You’ve probably seen the ads that say you can sleep through your next dental appointment. Some say you’ll sleep; others simply refer to a “sleep-like state.” However they say it, they are both referring to Sedation Dentistry. What you do need to be clear on is whether they are offering Sedation Dentistry or Sleep Dentistry.
While Sleep Dentistry is really just a sub-set of Sedation Dentistry there’s one very important distinction between the two. The patient is conscious when they are undergoing Sedation Dentistry whether they have taken a mild sedative in pill form or whether they just took Laughing Gas. It’s suitable for the patient with mild to moderate anxiety, fear or nervousness. Sleep Dentistry means you’re not conscious.
There are two main approaches to Sleep Dentistry: I.V. Sedation is the more common of the two, and usually refers to the use of a moderate sedative given by intravenous drip. The big advantage of this form of Sleep Dentistry is that there are general dentists who are licensed to administer it. You should also find out whether the dentist will perform the anesthesia or if there will be an anesthesiologist there. It can be better to have one person concentrate on the work while a second looks after the patient. General anesthetics put the patient much further under and require an anesthesiologist. The patient may have to go to the hospital for treatment, and it will require a physician in attendance.
Most people who request Sedation Dentistry only need a mild sedative; however there are some cases where a patient may require Sleep Dentistry. If you are considering Sedation Dentistry it’s important to make sure you understand exactly what options are available so you can make an informed choice. If you have a special needs patient in your household they may require Sleep Dentistry, as might someone who is going to have a very large amount of work done. It may