We all know how difficult it is to struggle with recurring dental anxiety. It can hinder us from immediately undergoing dental procedures to make our dental health better. Luckily, services are now available for sedation dentistry in Clayton!
About 30 percent of patients experience dental anxiety, which often worsens their dental health conditions because they tend to skip dental appointments because of excessive fear.
Understanding how sedation dentistry works is important to know before you try this treatment, especially if you have allergies or other existing health issues.
What Is Sedation Dentistry?
Sedation dentistry is a treatment where medication is used to provide calmness and comfort to a patient while undergoing a dental procedure. This allows the dentist to do the procedures hassle-free, ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of the dental treatment.
There are four levels of sedation that you can choose from, depending on the comfort you desire and the severity of your dental anxiety:
- Minimal sedation – you are awake, relaxed, and fully conscious of what is happening
- Moderate sedation – you are awake but a higher dose medication makes you slightly unaware of the procedure
- Deep sedation – you are at the edge of consciousness but can still be awakened
- General anesthesia – where you are completely unconscious
How It Works
There are also three different methods of sedation that your dentist or anesthesia provider can advise you to use, depending on your body’s capacity:
- Inhaled sedation – Nitrous oxide is inhaled along with oxygen through a mask that you will wear on your nose.
- Oral sedation – Pills will be orally administered.
- IV Sedation – The sedative is injected through a vein to work immediately.
Before having yourself sedated, make sure that you haven’t ingested any food or drink at least six hours before your scheduled appointment to avoid the risk of vomiting or choking.
Who Are the Candidates for Sedation Dentistry?
Aside from people who experience dental anxiety, there are other viable reasons you should try sedation services. Having high sensitivity in your gums or a high tolerance for local anesthesia can also be a reason for you to be sedated before a dental procedure.
Other patients can also be sedated, such as those with disabilities and children above the age of 2 who can be startled easily by the presence of a dentist. Of course, a holistic checkup will be done to find out the appropriate level of sedation that can be administered.
Patients who are pregnant or with cardiovascular problems can also benefit from sedation services without causing any harm.
Can Sedation Dentistry Affect Your Allergies?
The effect of sedation may vary depending on the intensity of your allergies. When you get sedated, you might experience mild symptoms, such as headache, dry mouth, and nausea. However, these are only temporary.
While there are no recorded severe cases of patients with allergies experiencing serious symptoms after being sedated, it is best to practice safety precautions before using sedation services for a dental appointment.
Suppose you happen to have allergies and you have been taking medications. In that case, you should inform your dentist ahead of time simply out of precaution. If you are ever concerned about being sedated and are wondering if it’s okay for your overall health, you can visit a doctor to clear you.
Your dentist wants you to feel completely safe. After all, sedation is supposed to decrease your stress levels, not make you more stressed out. If you ever have any concerns about the types of sedation and their effects, be sure to ask.
Are You Planning to Try Out Sedation Dentistry in Clayton?
Tryon Family Dentistry offers different sedation services as part of being passionate about providing quality oral care. We are putting your family’s safety and comfort at the highest priority.
Raising awareness about sedation dentistry can help many people be more confident in improving their dental health with the help of our experts. We should remember that having better smiles means having better lives.
If you’re still a bit hesitant to try out sedation dentistry, you can always visit our office and inquire about our procedures. We know that trying something for the first time might feel a little scary. But we can assure you that we do everything we can to give you the most comfortable and calming patient experience. If you have any questions about your upcoming visit, please don’t hesitate to ask our friendly and expert team. Learn more about sedation dentistry in Clayton by giving us a call today!
