Many people avoid dental exams due to anxiety or fear. Sedation dentistry eliminates those fears and allows patients to receive the dental care they need.
Oral sedation is prescribed as a pill a few hours before your appointment. You will feel drowsy but awake during your visit. This is a moderate level of sedation. You will need someone to drive you home after your appointment.
Oral Sedation
For many people with anxiety or phobia, even the thought of going to the dentist can be overwhelming. Sedation dentistry Louisville KY allows these individuals to receive the care they need without fear or anxiety resulting in a more comfortable treatment experience.
With oral sedation, you will take a prescription-strength medication before your appointment. The medication will begin to take effect about an hour before your procedure & make you feel drowsy but relaxed. You will still be awake & able to respond to questions from the dentist, but you may not remember much about your appointment.
Because of the drowsiness, you will need to have an escort to drive you to & from your appointment. Also, it may take a day or two for the effects of oral sedation to wear off. Generally, this method is best for those with mild to moderate anxiety or fears & short to medium length appointments.
Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous Oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, is a breathable form of mild sedation. It is a colorless gas with a sweetish odor and taste that, when inhaled in small doses for brief periods, produces insensitivity to pain and sometimes euphoria.
This sedative is administered through a small mask over the nose. Patients remain awake and can communicate with the dentist and hygienists, but they are less stressed and anxious. It is very safe to use and has no lingering effects, so patients can drive home after the appointment.
However, if pure nitrous oxide is inhaled for prolonged periods, it can cause asphyxiation. It is therefore always mixed with oxygen in the delivery system for maximum safety. Various complications from this include varying degrees of hypoxia (oxygen deprivation), which can lead to hypotension, fatal cardiac arrhythmias, or even brain injury. Other side effects include a rapid change in heart rhythm and hematologic changes including megaloblastic erythropoiesis.
Moderate IV Sedation
If you suffer from dental anxiety or have a strong gag reflex, dental sedation is an option that will help you tolerate treatment. Many patients avoid routine dental exams due to fear, allowing small problems to develop into bigger ones. Sedation dentistry Louisville KY helps you overcome this fear so that you can get the treatment you need to maintain good oral health.
With moderate IV sedation, you’ll be given medication through an intravenous line before your appointment. It will place you in a sleep-like state, but you’ll still be awake and able to respond to the doctor’s instructions. This is a deeper level of sedation than oral or nitrous oxide. Because the sedation can leave you feeling groggy, you’ll need someone to drive you home after your appointment.
You should not eat anything for about eight hours before your appointment, and you should bring a list of any medications or supplements you take and any allergies. You should also tell us if you have any medical conditions that may interfere with your procedure.
Deep Sedation
Dental anxiety or phobia can cause patients to avoid getting the care they need, leading to serious oral health issues down the road. Sedation dentistry helps patients relax and receive treatment without fear or apprehension.
Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, is a mild sedative administered for the duration of your appointment through a small mask placed over your nose. This option reduces anxiety levels and facilitates relaxation, and it wears off very quickly when the mask is removed. You’ll remain awake and can respond to our dentists and hygienists, but you will feel more calm and at ease.
For patients with severe anxiety or who are scheduling more involved procedures such as oral surgery, moderate IV sedation can help. With this level of sedation, you will feel more dreamy and may even fall asleep. It’s easier to rouse you from this level of sedation, but you may not remember any part or all of your appointment.
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