Sedation dentistry is where we use drugs to relax you and put you at ease while we work. It’s an excellent way to overcome fears and ensure your oral health is always as good as it can be.
Let us clear up one element of confusion regarding sedation dentistry. You’re not put to sleep during the procedure. You are awake, conscious, but relaxed. You can respond to questions, think for yourself and understand what’s going on.
The beauty of sedation dentistry is that you’re mentally awake, but completely relaxed and ambivalent about what’s going on. That means we can still communicate with you during the procedure, you’re still in control of yourself, but you’re no longer afraid of what’s going on.
The other benefit of sedation dentistry is that the drugs affect how you measure time. For example, if we are performing an hour-long procedure, your brain may only perceive a few minutes of that. Time passes quickly, meaning your awareness of what’s going on is only momentary even though you’re still awake.
Any sedation dentistry procedure we undertake is overseen by a certified anesthesiologist, so you’re in safe hands with us!
How Does Sedation Dentistry Work?
Once you’re in the chair, we insert an IV into your hand to deliver the sedative. Depending on the procedure we will be performing, we may also prescribe a local anesthetic for comfort.
Once you’re fully relaxed and happy, we begin work. We will perform the procedures as quickly and as painlessly as possible, while maintaining the utmost quality. Once complete, we will bring you out of the sedative state back to full consciousness. You may have to sit awhile in our consulting room while you recover but you will be able to leave soon after.
You may need to be accompanied to and from our dentist surgery, depending on how you react to drugs. We can discuss that further at a consultation.
If you’re afraid of the dentist, sedation dentistry may be the answer. Contact Aesthetic Family Dentistry today to schedule a consultation.
