To sleep or not to sleep, that is the question. Sedation dentistry can be very helpful for fearful patients or for procedures that require extensive work without the patient feeling or remembering it. Sedation does not necessarily mean that you are asleep, but it can help put you in a calm state of being. Oral consciousness and IV sedation can be used in general dentistry or in speciality offices.
If the thought of getting a filling sends you reeling in fear, an oral sedation might help you out. Normally, oral sedation is medication used to help calm or relieve some stress of going to the dentist. It is a popular treatment option for many people because it does not require the use of a needle. Medication is prescribed to you to take the night before the appointment. This ensures that you have a good night’s sleep and can make you very calm before the appointment. Sometimes, the dentist can pair the oral medication with nitrous oxide (laughing gas). This air inhalant can further the feeling of relaxation. The best part of this form of sedation is that it can be cleared out of your body before your appointment is over. Even though the laughing gas is out of your body, you still need to have someone drive you to your appointment and drive you home.
All the same rules apply for IV sedation. IV (intravenous) sedation achieves the calm state but can be quick acting. A needle and tubing is placed into your arm and anti-anxiety medication can be administered directly into your bloodstream. The nice thing about this form of sedation is that the medication can be adjusted during the procedure so that you can remain comfortable at all times. The not so nice thing is that if you are afraid of needles, this may not be the avenue for you. Unfortunately, needles are still involved in the appointment either way. The dentist needs to use local anesthetics to get the teeth numb so that your are completely comfortable throughout the appointment.
If these two forms of sedation still cannot relax you during your procedures, then general anesthesia needs to come into play. This is the true “sleep dentistry.” A dental anesthesiologist or an oral surgeon can administer this type of sedation. You are completely asleep while the needed treatment is performed on you in only one appointment. It is very effective, but there are risks to this type of sedation, most notably the need for assisted breathing. While sleep dentistry is an acceptable form of sedation for the dentist, it can take a toll on your wallet. Most dental insurance companies do not cover the cost of having general anesthesia and it can be expensive. However, this may be the only way to get work done, if oral medication or IV sedation is not an option.
In general, sedation dentistry can truly make your visit a pleasant one, rather than a white knuckle fearful one.
