Sedation Dentistry

We recently overheard someone say that flying around the holidays is “like pulling teeth.” It sounded like someone who hadn’t been to the dentist in a while. While commercial flights are often crowded and staffed by well-meaning but over-worked employees, dentistry has become more pleasant, way less painful, and easier to leave after it’s done. What does persist for both industries is a fear (that some would call irrational) even as aviation becomes safer and dentistry has all but eliminated the pain involved. We’re not going to judge you if you still feel some fear at the dentist. There are some options to make you feel better.
You may have heard the term “sedation dentistry.” The idea is to help you relax during dental work. There’s nothing wrong with feeling a little anxiety before a procedure. If you think too much about what they’ll be doing even the most fearless patients become a little anxious. Because of these fears many dentists and oral surgeons have been expanding their arsenals of sedation to help accommodate as many people as possible.
There are a couple of levels of sedation and the level used is typically chosen based on your comfort level and the type of procedure:
Nitrous Oxide has been used forever. That’s where they put the mask over your nose and you relax throughout the appointment. The dentist can control the intensity of the gas and you can likely drive yourself home at the end.
For more intense work or more anxious patients there’s also oral sedation which is typically the drug Halcion. Coming from the same family as Valium, Halcion will help you seriously relax and is among the most common drugs used for sedation dentistry. You will need help getting home if you use an oral sedative.
Some cases will require a sedative administered by intravenous needle. In this case the dentist maintains control of the sedative and you will need help getting home even though you will be feeling better quickly.
The most extensive procedures may require deep sedation and general anesthesia. In this situation you are out and will awaken slowly. Usually there will be a dental anesthesiologist administering but more and more dentists and oral surgeons are becoming trained in this type.
As always we encourage you to thoroughly discuss your options with your dentist. You may be taking some medications that affect your readiness for sedation and you should certainly disclose your entire medical history before receiving sedation. Above all, don’t let fear keep you out of the dentist’s chair. They will help you find a way to make treatment tolerable!