Sedation Dentistry
Dental sedation is a technique that can be used when
a patient suffers from anxiety or fear of the dentist.
Varying degrees of dental sedation can be utilized,
depending on the associated level of anxiety. Methods
of sedation dentistry include conscious sedation with
sedatives, inhalation nitrous oxide sedation, and intravenous,
or IV sedation. These sedation dentistry techniques
allow patients to receive the dental treatment they
need for proper oral hygiene.
There are a number of types of dental sedation methods
used by dentists today:
Oral Sedatives
Oral sedative medications such as diazepam can be given
to a patient the night before a dentistry procedure
or 30 minutes to an hour before the dental appointment,
depending on the severity of the anxiety. Oral sedatives
do not provide pain relief, so an injection of local
anesthetic will also be administered.
Intravenous (IV) Sedation
Like oral sedatives, IV sedation does not provide pain
relief, so an injection of local anesthetic will also
be administered in conjunction with this method of dental
sedation.
Nitrous Oxide Sedation
In one form of conscious inhalation sedation, nitrous
oxide gas (also known as laughing gas) is used to induce
a state of relaxation. A local anesthetic will be administered
in combination with nitrous oxide sedation to eliminate
pain.
General Anesthesia
This method of dental sedation refers to the use of
anesthetic to render the patient unconscious. Unlike
other sedation methods, the patient will be completely
unaware of his or her surroundings, making the use of
local anesthetic unnecessary.
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