What Is Sedation Dentistry and How Can It Help You?
Does the thought of sitting on our dentist’s chair make your stomach queasy? If it does, you are among the 10% of the population that avoids going to the dentist because of dental phobia or anxiety. However, you risk developing other dental issues if you choose not to receive dental treatment because of dental anxiety.
Thankfully, we have evolved, and we have advancements in dentistry that ensure that you can get sedation dentistry in Scarborough, ON. Sedation dentistry is a wonderful service that enables anyone with dental anxiety to relax and receive much-needed dental care.
When you understand a bit more about sedation dentistry, you will be better placed to decide to visit our dentist for oral care.
About Sedation Dentistry
Sedation dentistry has been around for decades but has been evolving. The techniques, equipment, and drugs used are far better than when it all began. Sedation dentistry is a common dental service that we offer, which involves using medication to enable our patients with dental anxiety or phobia to receive oral care.
Don’t get confused when you come across terms like “relaxation” dentistry, sleep dentistry, or “anxiety-free” dentistry. All of these are synonyms, and they all refer to sedation dentistry.
Since our technology has evolved, we can induce different levels of sedation, depending on the drugs and sedation method used. Our dentist will examine your condition to determine the right level and type of sedation.
Types of Sedation Dentistry?
Since patients come in with different needs, we have various options to help us meet your specific needs. Therefore, you can expect the following types of sedation dentistry:
- Inhalation Sedation
- Oral Sedation
- Intravenous Sedation
Inhalation sedation uses nitrous oxide, which you might have heard being referred to as “laughing gas.” Our dentist will use a regulated gas mask to administer the laughing gas. Once you inhale the gas, you will feel relaxed; some patients might even laugh during the procedure.
But one thing is that you will not sleep. You will be able to carry out a conversation with our dentist. Once the procedure is complete, our dentist will remove your mask, and the effects of the gas almost instantly wear off. You can even drive home after the procedure.
Inhalation sedation is considered the mildest mode of sedation and is safe for kids.
The other option that we have is oral sedation dentistry. In this case, our dentist administers the sedative orally. Oral sedation is considered to be a mild to moderate type of sedation. The sedative will take a few moments before the effects kick in, and you will feel calm and relaxed during the procedure.
You will be aware of your surroundings and can still carry out conversations with our dentist. However, you will be drowsy and might even nap during the procedure. At times, patients might not remember much after the procedure.
Unlike inhalation sedation, the effects of oral sedation will not wear off as fast. So, you will need to arrange transportation since you won’t be able to drive home after the procedure.
I.V. sedation is another type of sedation that our dentist administers via the veins; therefore, it works much faster than any other type of sedation. Our dentist can alter the levels of sedation depending on your needs and preferences. So, you can expect the level of sedation to be between moderate and deep sedation.
Once our Scarborough dentist administers the sedative via the veins, you will feel the effects immediately and might be almost unconscious or unconscious during the procedure.
This mode of sedation is ideal for patients with dental anxiety or who need extensive dental work.
How Can Sedation Help You?
Dental anxiety manifests in different ways and varies in degree at any stage of the treatment process. Some will have pre-procedure anxiety, and others will have overwhelming fear from the beginning to the end of the procedure.
That’s why sedation dentistry comes in handy. Take a look at how it can help you:
- It keeps you calm if you have a problem staying still or have certain health conditions
- It relaxes you if you have a sensitive gag reflex since anesthesia causes nausea
- It allows you to undergo multiple treatments to help you save time and money
- It provides comfort if you need to undergo an extensive dental procedure
- It allows you to receive dental care if you have dental anxiety or phobia
Sedation dentistry in Scarborough, ON, has helped many patients receive dental care. Contact us at Finch East Dental Care to schedule a dental appointment.