Dental sedation may be an option if you are afraid of going to the dentist. Our Saba Road Dental Center team discusses dental sedation and how it feels.
What is dental sedation?
Dental sedation uses medication, usually taken orally or inhaled, to help patients relax during dental appointments. There are normally two different types of sedation: oral and nitrous oxide. At Saba Road Dental Center, we offer oral sedation.
Sedation may be beneficial for patients who are extremely nervous about dental procedures, require complex treatment, or have a severe gag reflex. Your dentist will review your medical history before recommending sedation to ensure that you are in good enough health to be sedated.
What is nitrous oxide sedation?
Understanding each type of sedation, we believe, is still critical. Laughing gas, also known as nitrous oxide, is an inhaled gas. Nitrous oxide will be administered to you via a small mask that fits over your nose. The level of sedation can be adjusted during your appointment to ensure that you are comfortable at all times. Nitrous oxide is extremely safe because it enters and exits the body so quickly.
What is oral sedation?
Oral sedatives are available in the form of liquids or pills. These medications can be taken the night before an appointment to help you sleep, or one hour before an appointment to help you relax before and during treatment.
How does it feel to be under sedation?
Dental sedation is a technique for reducing anxiety and pain during dental procedures. Despite feeling sleepy, you will be fully conscious throughout your treatment, able to communicate with your dentist and respond to instructions. If you do happen to fall asleep, a gentle shake should wake you up.
Oral conscious sedation patients typically have little recollection of the procedure. Many patients report having a conscious dream after being sedated with oral sedation. When compared to general anesthesia, oral sedation allows for a faster recovery.
Nitrous oxide sedation can help both adults and children relax and calm down. You may even experience euphoria as a result of it. You'll be awake and able to communicate, and time will appear to pass quickly.
Our team will monitor you during your treatment to ensure your safety at all times.
Can I drive myself home after having dental sedation?
A trusted friend or family member should drive you to and from your sedation appointment. While the effects of laughing gas are short-lived, you may still be drowsy enough to drive. Because oral sedation can take several hours to leave your system, you should strictly adhere to your dentist's recommendations for when you can resume driving.
Don't let dental phobia or anxiety prevent you from receiving the care you require. By determining whether you are a candidate for dental sedation, our dentists can help you decide whether to use nitrous oxide (in which case we may need to refer you) or oral sedation for your procedure. Remember that oral sedation works similarly to nitrous oxide.
