Dental sedation is a common practice that is designed to help make difficult or lengthy procedures much easier on the patient.
It is a safe and reliable method that uses an IV drip to keep you conscious but sedated throughout the treatment.
Dental sedation is a safe and reliable method for keeping patients relaxed during long or difficult dental treatments that would otherwise be uncomfortable.
Before treatment begins, your dentist or sedation specialist will insert a drip into a vein in your arm. This will make you feel relaxed and drowsy, but you will still be awake throughout the procedure and able to both communicate and follow instructions as needed. Of course, you will also receive a local anaesthetic to ensure you do not feel any pain from the treatment itself.
Throughout the procedure, you will be attached to monitoring equipment that will keep track of your vital signs as well. Even if the entire treatment takes an hour or two, it will likely only feel like it took five or ten minutes, as time passes very quickly when you are sedated. Additionally, you will have little or no memory of the procedure due to the amnesic qualities of the IV sedation.
Sedation is used in dentistry for a lot of different procedures, and sometimes for more basic procedures if deemed necessary.
For example, dental sedation is often used for patients getting dental implants put in, and for patients getting wisdom teeth extracted. Both of these procedures can be lengthy and uncomfortable, especially if the wisdom teeth are impacted or otherwise in difficult positions.
Another common use for sedation is for full clearances where it is required to remove all or many teeth. Essentially, sedation is useful for any procedure that takes a relatively long time, and that could be uncomfortable or distressing for the patient to sit through.
As such, it is sometimes also used for patients who have dental anxiety or a strong gag reflex.
In some cases, your dentist may recommend sedation for an upcoming procedure. You can of course decline the sedation if you prefer not to take it, but generally speaking, if a dentist recommends this option, it’s likely because the procedure would be long and uncomfortable without it.
That said, you can also speak to your dentist about sedation if you are anxious or concerned about a treatment. If sedation means that you will go ahead with a treatment you need for your oral health rather than put it off indefinitely, then it could be a good option for you.
Only your dentist can verify if you need a filling. Visit our office in Lower Hutt for a dental examination scheduling an appointment online or by dialling 04 566 1122 today.
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