Sedation Dentistry

Sedation dentistry is a solution for the all too common condition befalling those who need dental care – dental phobia.

A visit to the dentist is major cause of concern for almost 30 percent of the general population, as per the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation (DOCS Education). DOCS Education is a professional organization that ensures comfortable and worry free dental care enabling those patients with this phobia to yet maintain their dental health.

Sedation dentistry is the use of sedatives to calm and relax a person. It is used to help manage dental phobia so that the patient is sufficiently relaxed to receive the appropriate treatment.

Sedation dentistry has at times been called sleep dentistry. However, this term is incorrect since sedation dentistry only ensures that the patient is relaxed and not necessarily asleep. It is distinctive from local anesthesia in that anesthesia provides a stronger block against pain, and from general anesthesia which will induce sleep. As such anesthesia is usually administered together with sedation.

Methods of Sedation

Sedation can be done in three ways:

1. Intravenous (IV) sedation – This is where the sedative drugs are administered into the blood system. It was the most popular method of sedation used in the past, as it is both safe and effective when done by an experienced person.

However, some patients also have a fear of needles (injections) which can counter the calming effect of intravenous sedation. As such, sedation is now possible in other alternative methods which are more attractive options to the average patient.

2. Inhalation sedation – Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, is used in this method.

3. Oral sedation – This is one of the most frequent types of sedation used at present, since it’s easy and does not require injections to administer. It brings about a drowsy, calming effect whilst maintaining some consciousness to ensure the patient’s safety and support.

Whichever type of sedation is selected, the patient should always be accompanied by another responsible person, both on the way to obtain the procedure (in the event oral medication is taken beforehand), and at least two to four hours after the procedure, to ensure there are no complications.

Benefits of Sedation Dentistry

There are many benefits of sedation that would appeal to a dental patient, the most significant one being the ability to manage and overcome dental phobia. As such, patients with such a phobia are able to make the recommended routine dental checkups and minor procedures, without allowing any dental issue to progress to the level of requiring serious dental treatment.

In addition, the almost unconscious level that sedation induces enables long procedures to seem like it took only a few minutes. As such, complicated procedures can be performed in a reasonably less number of separate visits, as the patient has more endurance for the procedure.

Further, use of sedation may also enable a complicated procedure (such as periodontal scaling) to be covered by insurance. Even though insurance does not cover sedation per se, there are non-intravenous sedation procedure codes which may apply. For instance, a procedure requiring four separate visits to the dentist without sedation may not be covered. However, if the procedure was completed in one visit with sedation, the cost may be covered by insurance.