sedation dentistry

Who Can Benefit From Sedation Dentistry?

Sedation dentistry is often seen as a solution for large surgical cases or for patients that suffer from dental anxiety. But sedation dentistry is ideal for those patients and even more. Dr. Mark Sowell, a dentist in Plano, TX, explains the multiple kinds of sedation available at our office and the many patients that can benefit from it.

What is Sedation Dentistry?

Sedation dentistry uses medication to make a patient relaxed and calm throughout your visit to our dental office. At our dental office, we have nitrous oxide — also known as laughing gas –, oral conscious sedation, and IV sedation. Local anesthetic is also used to make sure the area being worked on is numb, too.

Nitrous oxide is the lightest form of sedation. It’s administered through a mask on your nose throughout the procedure. It takes effect and diminishes almost instantly, so you’re able to drive yourself to and from your appointment. It’s designed to keep you relaxed and feel a euphoric sensation, but you’ll be alert through the procedure.

Dr. Sowell is licensed by the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners to perform oral sedation. Oral sedation is given in the form of a pill that’s taken prior to the procedure. If needed, it can be supplemented with nitrous oxide. Oral sedation offers deeper sedation and you may fall asleep or not remember parts of the procedure. You’ll need a ride to and from your appointment, as this sedation takes longer to wear off.

IV sedation is something that’s only needed for about 20% of the population when oral sedation isn’t enough. An expert dental anesthesiologist will perform this form of sedation for you. The anti-anxiety medication is administered directly to your bloodstream, taking effect almost immediately. You’ll also need a ride for this form of sedation.

Who Benefits From Sedation Dentistry?

For starters, sedation dentistry is used for those that suffer from dental anxiety. Dental anxiety can occur on a spectrum, caused by only certain machines, or severe enough that patients avoid the dentist altogether. This can lead to having more serious dental problems that then need complex dental treatments to fix.

Sedation allows these patients to both get through these longer procedures and come into the office regularly to ensure their dental health doesn’t suffer again. We want to make sure that our office is a warm, welcoming environment. We’ll have you relax with your favorite songs or episodes of shows while the sedation takes effect.

But other patients can benefit, too. Sedation is ideal for people to get multiple dental procedures at one time. It’s also a good solution for patients that suffer from movement disorders and are unable to sit still for long periods of time. For a patient that has a bad gag reflex, sedation can help to relax it, making treatment more comfortable for both the patient and the dentist.