Learn about sedation dentistry

Sedation dentistry is the use of medication to enable the patients to relax during the dental procedure thus allowing them to be in a calm state so that the can comfortably undergo their dental treatment. It is normally done to patients with low pain threshold, have very sensitive teeth, patients with a severe gag reflex or those that need a large amount of dental work so as to make the patients remain to relax throughout the dental procedure.

It is advisable for patients to visit a doctor over the issue of sedation so as to find out if you are appropriate for the sedation so as to avoid certain complications that may arise from sedation. Sedation is advantageous to patients with anxiety or fear as they are relaxed through sedation dentistry. The dentistry in Riverside should also provide medication to numb the site to avoid any further discomfort during procedure despite sedation.

LEVELS OF SEDATION

The levels of sedation are defined according to the response of the patients’ response to various stimuli, giving the patient different states of relaxation. The level of sedation needed by a patient depends on patients’ medical history, the level of anxiety and intensiveness of the dental procedure. These levels include;

Minimal sedation- Here, the patient normally respond to verbal commands but remains relaxed. It is the lightest form of sedation administered for light dental treatment and low anxiety patients.

Moderate sedation-Here, the patient is relaxed by putting him into a sleepy condition, but they remain conscious and awake, or the patient falls asleep but can be awakened easily. There is also slurring of words during the procedure.

Deep Sedation-This level is done to patients who require extensive dental procedures. The patient becomes unconscious but can be awakened and can respond to painful stimuli.

General anesthesia-This is done to people with very high anxiety and serious dental problems. The patient becomes completely unconscious, with impaired breathing and cannot be awakened, neither can they respond to painful stimuli.

TYPES OF DENTISTRY SEDATION

Oral Sedation-This type of sedation is taken in pill form, that is, the Halcion pill for minimal oral sedation thus resulting in minimal sedation in which one becomes relaxed but can still remember some of the dental procedure and remains awake. For moderate oral sedation, the patient takes a larger amount of the Halcion pill which makes the patient fall asleep during the dental treatment procedure. This is the sedation preferred on children due to its mild effects.

Inhaled minimal sedation- Here, the patient is made to inhale the nitrous oxide in combination with oxygen thus making you relaxed but the patient remains normal after the dental procedure as the gas wears out quickly.

Deep sedation- This type of sedation include giving a medication that makes the patient almost unconscious but can be awakened.

General anesthesia-The patient is given a medication [drug induced sedation] that makes him totally unconscious and cannot awaken until the effects are reversed with medication or wear off. This sedation is used only on patients undergoing an acute dental treatment procedure.

IV moderate sedation- This is the type of sedation in which the drug is injected into the veins so that the patient becomes relaxed faster.