Sedation dentistry allows patients to feel comfortable in the dentist's chair. A lot of people have fear and anxiety when they come into our office, and there are many reasons for these feelings.
For some patients, they’re scared of the dentist. Other patients may gag while having procedures performed or they’re afraid of the pain that the procedure may entail.
We’re going to explore sedation dentistry, who this form of dentistry benefits the most and other options that may be available to you.
What is Sedation Dentistry?
If you want to be at ease and relaxed during any dental procedure, sedation dentistry is a good option. Multiple forms of sedation are available, but you’re not asleep during the procedure. Instead, you’re awake and relaxed, or like some of our patients say, “carefree.”
You may have also seen the following terms, which all mean the same thing:
- Conscious sedation
- Twilight sleep
Everyone is different, but you might not even remember portions of the procedure. Some people do remember everything but it’s a little “blurry.”
However, administering the sedation varies and can be done in a few ways, which we’ll explore later in this article.
Who Can Benefit from Sedation Dentistry?
Anyone. We have patients of all ages that have a much better dental experience when they’re under sedation. While we don’t recommend this form of dentistry for everyone, it is a great option for anyone with:
- Extreme dental anxiety that doesn’t subside with basic numbing agents
- Fear of the dentist and won’t come into our office despite dental decay or issues
- Sensitive gag reflexes that make procedures very uncomfortable
- Aichmophobia, or a fear of needles
- Special needs or physical conditions that make sitting in the dental chair a challenge
For some patients, they find that local anesthesia doesn’t work well for them. In this case, instead of braving the pain, the patient can remain comfortable during the procedure.
Of course, certain persons may not be a good fit for sedation. We can evaluate you in person to better understand if you’re a good candidate or not for sedation therapy. If you’re pregnant or nursing or have certain medical conditions, you may not be a good fit for sedation therapy.
Don’t worry we’ll do our best to make you as comfortable as possible during your procedure.
Dental Sedation and Anesthesia Options
At Lighthouse Dental Centre, we only offer oral sedation therapy to our patients. We find that this form of sedation works best for our patients and has the least risk of side effects. However, we do want to educate you on each type of sedation available.
Oral Sedation
Often referred to as “oral conscious sedation,” this form of sedation is what we offer our patients. You’ll find that this is the least “scary” option and it’s easy to understand how it works.
How it works
Oral sedation acts rather quickly and will help patients relax and have their feeling of anxiety melt away. We will choose one of many sedative options, such as diazepam or triazolam - among many others.
In a few minutes, the sedative will begin to work and you’ll start to get groggy. Your eyelids may keep closing while you try to stay awake. Some patients do feel so relaxed that they fall asleep, but we can nudge you awake if necessary.
When you take an oral sedative, you’ll still be able to answer questions during the procedure and may even remember everything that transpired.
Pros and cons
We find that the pros of oral sedation far outweigh the cons. The major advantages of this form of sedation include:
- Patients stay awake during the procedure
- Anxiety and fear are toned down to make dentistry possible for you
- Minimal cost relative to other forms of sedation
You may remember bits and pieces of the procedure or none at all.
What are the disadvantages?
- We will need to evaluate your medical history to ensure that the sedative is safe for you to use
- You may suffer from some of the common side effects that we list later in the article
- Oral sedatives do take time to take effect and need to be taken before the procedure
Since the oral sedative will leave you feeling drowsy and slow your reaction time, you’ll need someone to drive you home after the procedure.
Nitrous Oxide Sedation
Nitrous oxide is also known as laughing gas. You’ll find that most patients enjoy this form of sedation because it negates some of the side effects of oral sedation, but it also has disadvantages.
How it works
Laughing gas is a gas, and it is administered by placing a mask over the patient’s face and asking them to breathe through their nose. The gas will enter the lungs and you’ll begin to feel your limbs tingle and often experience a sense of euphoria.
Most patients will begin to feel the effects of nitrous oxide within 20 seconds to as long as five minutes.
In comparison to numbing agents, this is a fast-acting sedative that can be administered during your procedure and will allow you to feel more confident in the dental chair.
It’s also not uncommon for patients to laugh or giggle during their procedure, hence the term “laughing gas.”
Pros and cons
Nitrous oxide is relatively safe and has the benefit of:
- Working quickly and easing just as quickly
- Recovery time is very short, allowing you to feel like your normal self within minutes
- Being a quick and easy way for you to feel less anxious and stressed during your procedure
Drawbacks are very minimal, but there are times when over-administration can occur, and then the person may struggle to stay awake or may feel nausea.
IV Sedation
IV sedation is the fastest method of sedation because the sedative takes effect within seconds. After all, you’ll have an IV that allows the sedative to go directly into the bloodstream.
How it works
First, an IV line is put into your vein, which allows us to administer the sedative directly into your bloodstream. If you’re afraid of needles, this may not be the optimal choice for you. With that said, you’ll have monitors on during the procedure to watch your:
- Heart rate
- Oxygen levels
- Blood pressure
Patients will remain awake during the procedure, but it’s not uncommon to begin nodding off. Relaxation will set it and is often a feeling that patients describe as “intense.”
Pros and cons
IV sedation is inherently riskier and will require a professional to administer. From a relaxation perspective, IV sedation offers one of the most intense levels of relaxation of all sedatives. Additionally, it may be one of the only ways for people with extreme phobia or fear to get dental work done.
However, there are significant drawbacks to using IV sedation, including:
- Expense. Many insurance companies will not cover the cost of IV sedation, making the sedative costly
- Recovery time from IV sedation is long and can take an hour or more
- Patients will need to have someone drive them home because they will be too impaired to drive themselves
Most patients will never need IV sedation, but for those that have tried everything else and have not found relief from their anxiety, fear or pain, this may be the only remaining option of sedation that works.
We prefer to administer minimal or moderate sedation to patients so that they remain conscious during their procedure, experience fewer side effects and can also respond to questions that we may have.
Some patients do benefit from what we call “deep sedation.” As the strongest form of sedation, deep sedation will cause you to fall asleep during the entire procedure. You’ll have a specialist that administers the anesthetic, but you can still be woken up - although it can take some persistence.
In all cases, we prefer that you schedule an appointment in our office so that we can determine the best type of sedation for you.
Potential Side Effects of Sedation
Sedation always comes with risks, but they’re very low in dentistry. Remember, this is not anesthesia that puts you to sleep. The most common side effects we hear about from our patients include:
- Headaches
- Drowsiness
- Dry mouth
- Nausea
You may also experience “memory loss,” but this is for the duration of the procedure and not common.
Final Thoughts
Dental anxiety impacts 36% of the population. If you need dental care or want to maintain your routine dental visit and have too much anxiety to do so, sedation dentistry may be a good option.
Our staff is more than happy to discuss your options with you and will help you find a form of sedation that works best for you.
