Going to the dentist doesn’t have to be a painful experience with sedation dentistry
Does the idea of dental work make you tense? Many people find themselves anxious about dental visits, whether they need a routine cleaning or a more severe procedure such as a root canal. But you don’t have to endure the agony of a toothache or leave critical dental health issues unaddressed due to the anxiety that often comes with a dentist visit. Sedation dentistry is one solution that many people have come to appreciate in the Elkridge area to reduce anxiety and improve dental health. After all, dental work isn’t just cosmetic, dental hygiene, and tooth health is an essential part of your overall health. Some dental professionals are using general anesthesia to help their patients access the dental care they need despite dental anxiety. Here’s what you should know about the use of general anesthesia in sedation dentistry in Elkridge, MD.
Sedation Dentistry Defined
Sedation dentistry is when dentists use medication to help patients relax during their dental care procedures. There are several levels to sedation dentistry to meet just about any patient’s needs. Dentists use different levels of sedation for different people to ease their anxieties and help them improve their dental health and hygiene. For most of these methods, the patient is awake and mildly sedated, except for general anesthesia or “deep sedation.”
Inhaled Minimal Sedation
With inhaled minimal sedation, patients inhale nitrous oxide (sometimes referred to as “laughing gas”) combined with oxygen through a mask. Your dentist can control the amount of sedative you receive to help you relax throughout your dental procedure. The gas wears off quickly, so one significant benefit of minimal sedation is that often, patients can drive themselves home after their dental care appointment.
Oral Sedation
Oral sedation tends to fall in the minimal to moderate range of sedation. This method of sedation dentistry involves taking a pill about an hour before your procedure. This technique will generally be Halcion, a medication in the same family as Valium. This method is the most common form of sedation dentistry, causing drowsiness as well as relaxing patients for their dental procedure.
Intravenous Moderate Sedation
One moderate sedation method uses an IV to directly inject sedative throughout the dental procedure. This method provides patients with a higher level of sedation while allowing the dentist to control the sedative throughout the process, combining the benefits or oral and inhaled sedation methods.
General Anesthesia
General anesthesia or deep sedation will involve medications that cause patients to become wholly or nearly unconscious. Since this leaves patients deeply asleep, it is a preferred choice for major dental procedures as well as patients with severe anxieties that prevent them from visiting their dentist even in the face of painful tooth or mouth pain.
Oral Care from Catonsville Dental Care For Elkdrige, MD Residents
Whether you want to whiten your teeth, straighten your teeth or have a wisdom tooth extracted Catonsville Dental Care offers a wide variety of services when it comes to oral health. We have the experience and understanding to diagnose and treat any problem you have as quickly and painlessly as possible. With four dentists available at our office and commitment to comfort, safety, and relaxation you can’t find a better provider for your health. We look forward to helping you keep your smile perfect all year long and talking with you about your needs. To schedule an appointment or consultation, visit us online or give us a call at 410-747-1115. For more tips and tricks follow us on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter,andYouTube.