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Often referred to as “sleep” dentistry, sedation dentistry uses various techniques to help patients feel deeply relaxed during their treatment. Depending on the type of sedation used, you may remain conscious and able to respond while still feeling calm and at ease. For certain forms of sedation that can cause lingering drowsiness, you will need to arrange for someone to drive you home after your appointment.
A major benefit of sedation dentistry is patients can often undergo multiple treatments during the same appointment, making their visit more productive and their care more efficient. Other advantages to utilizing sedation during treatment include the following:
Sedation dentistry options can be tailored to each patient’s level of anxiety, overall health, and the complexity of their treatment. Dr. Beckwith will review your medical history and goals to determine the safest and most appropriate level of sedation for your needs. The types of sedation dentistry we offer at Cornerstone Dental include:
Oral-conscious sedation involves taking a prescribed medication before your dental appointment to help you feel deeply relaxed. Patients often describe the experience as calm and dream-like, and some may even fall asleep during treatment. Although you may remain awake and able to respond to your dentist, many people have limited memory of the procedure afterward. Because oral sedation can cause lingering drowsiness, patients must arrange for someone to drive them home.
Nitrous oxide, commonly known as “laughing gas,” is a mild form of sedation delivered through a small mask placed over the nose. It promotes a sense of relaxation and ease while allowing patients to remain fully conscious and able to communicate. One of the primary benefits of nitrous oxide is that its effects wear off quickly once the mask is removed, allowing most patients to return to their normal activities shortly after treatment.
IV sedation is administered intravenously, allowing for a deeper level of relaxation and quick adjustment of dosage throughout the procedure. This type of sedation is ideal for patients with significant dental anxiety or those undergoing more complex or lengthy treatments. While patients typically remain conscious, they are in an advanced state of relaxation and often remember little to nothing about the appointment. Because IV sedation can leave you feeling groggy for several hours, you will need someone to accompany you and drive you home after your visit.
Your safety is our team’s top priority. Any possible side effects will be communicated with you to ensure you are informed about your decision. Most side effects that are associated with dental sedation typically fade after a few hours, and these can include:
In addition to these, it is normal to have limited memory from what happened during your procedure.
Sedation dentistry is designed to relax and calm patients using a range of techniques that do not always require being placed completely under, as is the case with deeper anesthesia. Depending on the method used, such as oral conscious sedation, IV sedation, or nitrous oxide, patients may feel as though they are in a dream-like state due to how calm they become, and some may even fall asleep. However, with lighter forms of sedation, many patients are still able to communicate with their dentist during the procedure. Sedation dentistry is ideal for individuals with minor to moderate dental anxiety who do not need to be fully unconscious for their dental treatments.
Safety among patients for any procedure is Dr. Beckwith’s number one priority. When using sedation to feel more at-ease during their dental procedure, patients report feeling more relaxed, which allows for more successful results. Under the supervision of a trained and experienced professional, like Dr. Beckwith, sedation dentistry can be a safe and effective method to reduce the anxiety of patients while receiving the dental care that they need.
Sedation treatment is designed to last for the duration of the dental procedure to help ensure the patient remains relaxed throughout. Depending on the type of sedation used, patients may be required to bring someone with them to drive them home afterward. This is because certain forms of sedation, such as oral and IV sedation, can cause minor side effects like grogginess, and patients should not operate a vehicle. Those who receive these types of sedation typically stay calm and relaxed even after they arrive home and may have trouble remembering parts of the procedure, even though they were likely awake the entire time. Patients receiving only nitrous oxide generally recover more quickly and may be able to drive afterward, if advised by their dentist.
Most dentists are able to offer some form of sedation dentistry, but not all dental professionals have the same qualifications. Milder forms of sedation that tend to be more common include nitrous oxide or oral sedation methods, while deeper options, such as IV sedation, require additional training.
Dr. Beckwith has specifically undergone specialized training to safely and precisely administer sedation dentistry for his patients. Because Dr. Beckwith is specially trained, the sedation options he provides are extremely safe, allowing patients to undergo the dental care they need with their minds at ease.
The cost of sedation dentistry will depend on the type of sedation used and whether your insurance will help cover a portion of the expense. Since sedation can often allow for multiple treatments to be completed during the same visit, this may potentially help reduce the added costs of scheduling additional appointments in the future.