Do You Feel Pain With Sedation Dentistry?

Most people fear visiting their dentists, and most of their anxiety comes from their fear of pain. Dental phobia inhibits you from getting your routine dental checkups and treatment. Sedation dentistry can help you keep up with your dental appointments without anxiety.

More About Sedation Dentistry

Sedation dentistry is the practice where dentists use medication to help patients be at ease while undergoing dental procedures. The different sedation levels include:

• Minimal sedation - Where a patient is comfortable but remains awake.
• Moderate sedation - Where a patient does not remember a lot about the procedure. They also slur words when speaking.
• Deep sedation - One can still be awake but remain barely conscious.
• General anesthesia – Here, a patient is fully unconscious.

Who Benefits From Sedation Dentistry?

Below are some of the reasons some patients prefer sedation dentistry:

• Anxiety during dental visits.
• Phobia of dentists or dental procedures.
• Bad experiences with dental procedures. 
• You have sensitive oral nerves.
• Local anesthetic does not work on you.

It is essential to talk to your dentist about using sedation dentistry if you have the mentioned problems. Doing so will help you receive dental treatments such as root canal therapy, fillings, and dental implants, among others. However, you may not receive sedation if you need a simple procedure such as teeth whitening, cleaning, or a dental X-ray. 

Can You Feel Pain With Sedation Dentistry?

Dentists use sedation dentistry to make you relax and enjoy a pain-free procedure. Most patients leave their appointments with little memory of what happened during treatment. But they end up feeling good.

Choosing the Right Option

You can consider the following as you choose the option that will appeal to you most. 
 

Inhaled minimal sedation is where you inhale laughing gas or nitrous oxide together with oxygen to help you relax. The gas wears off fast. Thus, your dentist will control how much you will receive. You can drive back home after your dental procedure with this sedation.

There is minimal and moderate oral sedation based on the dose you will receive. The pill you will swallow can lead to drowsiness, but you will still be awake. However, a larger dosage can cause you to sleep, though a gentle tap or shake will wake you up.

IV moderate sedation is another type that you receive through your vein. Your dentist can keep adjusting the sedation level during your procedure. Lastly, there is general anesthesia and deep sedation. You will receive medication that makes you close to the edge of unconsciousness or deeply unconscious. 

With general anesthesia, you can only wake up when the drug's effects wear off or when your dentist uses medication to reverse its effects. You will need to evaluate your options carefully before deciding on one. Most people prefer general anesthesia to get a deeper form of relaxation. However, this type needs a trained professional who will constantly monitor you. Your dentist may prefer using it for specific procedures.

Is Sedation Dentistry Safe?

Anesthesia is safe, but the person administering it must be an experienced dentist. However, people with obesity or obstructive sleep apnea need to talk to their dentists before sedation. Doing so will help avoid complications.

For more on sedation dentistry, visit Clarity Dental Center for Implant and Family Dentistry at our office in Federal Way, Washington. You can also call (253) 799-1490 to book an appointment today.