How Sedation Dentistry Is Used to Manage Dental Anxiety
At the mention of a dental practice, many people panic, especially children. This fear arises from anxiety, and it only worsens the situation you or your kid is experiencing. Our Del Mar pediatric dentist and her team have tons of solutions to help you. These solutions help patients relax during their dental appointments. What follows is a painless procedure, and just like that, you have a healthy mouth.
Sedation dentistry ensures you get a very relaxing and anxiety-free experience. Sedatives include a range of medical solutions. Experts carefully administer them so that they are highly effective and beneficial to the patient. Sedation dentistry services available at Del Mar are as shown below.
Dental IV Sedation
Intravenous sedation has been in existence for many years. It has been the primary technique used to sedate dental patients. Interestingly, it is administered via an IV injection directly into the veins. This method is highly effective and is not as painful as many people think. An IV injection should never make you panic. These injections make your whole body deeply relaxed. You feel dizzy, and you might not even remember what happened.
Pros
- It does not affect bodily functions
- It works instantly
- It helps patients with a gag reflex
- Once injected, the dentist can perform multiple procedures
Cons
- An expert must do it
- Many people may have a fear of injections
Oral Sedatives
Since many people fear injections, including painless ones, oral sedatives are taken orally. They offer similar relaxation to injections. Also, they are the most popular means of sedation in the vast USA and Canada.
The only difference between injections and drugs is that drugs are taken an hour before the dentist’s appointment. This time is enough for them to get into the system. As a result, you remain conscious but then in a very relaxed mood for the entire appointment period. It helps you to interact with the dentist and cooperate where necessary.
Pros
- It is painless
- It keeps you conscious
Cons
- It takes about an hour to get into the bloodstream
Laughing Gas
Laughing gas is administered through inhaling. The good thing about it is that it stays inside the system for a short period. The short time is, however, enough for the dentist to finish his procedure. After treatment, you should be back to normal and able to drive home.
Pros
- It works well for minor procedures
Cons
- The effects diminish faster than with other sedation options
Who Typically Requires Sedation Dentistry?
There are some reasons why people prefer sedation dentistry. Although some people don’t care about it, a considerable number do.
If any of these apply to you, you may benefit from sedation dentistry:
- Have resistance to locally used anesthesia
- Have a mouth that is smaller than average.
- Feel discomfort around dentists
- Fear dental procedures
- Have an anxiety disorder
Through your dental care provider’s help, you can get necessary treatments such as root canals, bridges, and dental implants, which may not be possible without sedation dentistry. In addition, many basic procedures do not require sedation—for instance, tooth whitening or teeth cleaning treatments do not typically cause anxiety.
Which Type of Sedation Should You Choose?
At this point, you have to make a tough choice. IV injection gives the best relaxation and works almost instantly. However, if you choose it, you will have to take an injection. Since it’s injected directly into the bloodstream, it has to be done by a very qualified specialist or dentist.
When it comes to oral sedatives, some people suffer from dysphagia or pharmacophobia, so swallowing pills is not an option. Others are allergic to gases, and thus laughing gas will not work for them. It would help if you stuck with whatever method works best for you.
Additionally, most necessary procedures require an injection of a local anesthetic. With sedation coupled with a local anesthetic, you can expect a painless experience regardless of the option you choose.
Where Can I Get These Services?
Sunny Smiles Kids Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics is a committed kids’ dentist in 92014 (Del Mar). Feel free to book an appointment with our pediatric dentist any day. You can book an appointment online or by giving us a call.