Sedation Dentistry

In the past, with just a little development in the dental field, patients had to bear a lot of pain during dental surgeries. But now it's 2022, and sedation dentistry has all the solutions to your distress. You don't need to wait until the last moment to visit the dentist for a detailed checkup or avoid dental visits for fear of pain during the surgery. With sedation dentistry, even tooth extraction doesn't feel painful, so dental treatments are much more convenient for people, and they are encouraged to go to a clinic.

Methods of Sedation:

Oral Sedation:

The oral sedation pills produce unconsciousness in patients. They make the patient drowsy and sleepy during dental treatments. Oral sedation, as compared to other types of sedation, produce more after-effects. The patient will not be able to drive him home safely, so he needs someone to monitor because the consciousness comes after some time when the effect of the pills goes down. If a kid is getting oral sedation, parents must supervise their children until he is fully awake and conscious. It can take a few hours to one day.

Laughing gas:

Laughing gas works wonders when it comes to moderate sedation. It takes just a few moments to start the sedation and is easy to wear off. Your dentist will give you a mask to place on your nose and will ask you to take deep breaths so that the gas can travel through your nostrils. Once it starts going inside, the process of sedation begins within seconds. The patient cannot feel pain and discomfort during the process but is fully awake. The after-effects are very few, so it is safe to drive yourself home after getting the treatment.

IV Sedation:

IV sedation uses the intravenous method to insert the anesthesia. It can be local and general anesthesia. The local anesthesia only produces sedation in a specific part, like the gums only for teeth extraction. The patient remains awake but can feel no pain or discomfort. General anesthesia is not particular to a special region. Rather, it produces unconsciousness and causes the whole body to rest. The IV insertion mostly uses the arm veins for injection.

Types of sedative drugs:

For laughing gas sedation, nitrous oxide is used widely to produce unconsciousness. Sedative pills like diazepam, zaleplon, triazolam, and midazolam are prescribed for oral sedation. Most dentists use liquid sedative drugs and IV methods for insertion because of their safety and no side effects. All the benzodiazepines like valium, versed, and Ativan are preferred for IV sedation.

Conclusion:

Sedation dentistry is used to induce unconsciousness during the treatment process. However, a little pain that comes after the effect of sedative drugs wears down is normal. You can avoid the pain with mild painkillers and do not try to put pressure on the treated tooth right after the treatment. In case of any after-effects of sedation, contact your dentist immediately.

To find out more about Sedation Dentistry, Contact your Dentist in Walnut Creek, Dr. Tiziana Procopio Towle, DDS at Procopio Towle Dental Office.

Resource:

The Benefits of Preventive Dentistry

This media/content or any other on this website does not prescribe, recommend, or prevent any treatment or procedure. Therefore, we highly recommend that you get the advice of a qualified dentist or other medical practitioners regarding your specific dental condition