Learn More About Sedation Dentistry

The use of sedation in dentistry has revolutionized the way patients view dental visits. Patients who once were afraid or anxious about even the most routine dental procedures now visit the dentist with confidence. Sedation is typically administered to healthy individuals who need help relaxing or managing treatment anxiety. Reasons for needing sedation may include lengthy procedure times, dental phobias, or fear caused by negative experiences in the past.

Depending on the kind of treatment patients are going to be receiving, as well as their level of nervousness, dentist and patients can select from a number of options. These include:

• Oral sedation (typically in pill form)
• IV sedation
• Nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”)
• General anesthesia

It’s important to note that selecting the form of sedation must take into account a number of factors beyond the procedure and the patient’s preferences. The individual’s medical history can be an extremely important factor, as safety and the patient’s overall health are always the most important considerations. Also, of course, it’s necessary to have someone else drive the patient home from the dentist whenever potentially mind-altering drugs are employed in the course of a procedure.