If the mere thought of going to the dentist is enough to send you off in the opposite direction, if your arm hairs stand at attention whenever someone mentions the word "dentist" and if your vision of an ideal dental experience consists of a few blurred memories, then you may be a good candidate for dental sedation. Dental sedation does not put you "to sleep," but instead, it puts you in a relaxed state that allows your dentist to provide necessary care.
Identification
Dental sedation uses anesthesia in a variety of forms and degrees to help adults and children suffering from dental fears and phobias. Sedation puts you in a relaxed, sleep-like state but still conscious and responsive, even though you may remember little to nothing of the experience. In the past, dental sedation consisted mainly of medications introduced by inhalation or intravenous injections. Today, more options increase availability and reduce safety concerns you may have about the use of anesthesia.
Types
Three types of dental sedation include oral, inhalation and intravenous. Most oral sedatives belong to the benzodiazepine family of drugs and include medications such as Valium, Xanax or Activan. These drugs affect the central nervous system and produce a calm, relaxed patient. Inhalation sedation involves breathing in a combination of oxygen and a gaseous substance called nitrous oxide, or "laughing gas." Laughing gas raises your tolerance for pain and produces feelings ranging from pleasure to complete euphoria. Intravenous, or IV, sedation is a stronger form of sedation that can result in total amnesia. The most commonly used IV sedation drug is Midazolam, another member of the benzodiazepine family of drugs.
Training
Each state has regulations and training requirements regarding dental sedation. These requirements usually include classroom training, procedure observation and certification. For example, in Wisconsin, dentists must receive a minimum of 18 hours of classroom training, observe 20 patient procedures and receive a Class 1 permit to perform dental sedation on adult patients. Additional classroom and observational training must be completed to perform sedation dentistry on children.
Benefits
A major benefit to sedation dentistry is that it can persuade you to seek dental care before conditions such as gum disease and tooth decay develop. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry describes several benefits to using dental sedation with children. These include preventing injury when children cannot sit still during treatment, helping children cope with high anxiety levels and creating a better overall setting for providing dental care. In adults, procedures such as cosmetic dentistry or extensive rebuilding that usually takes several visits can many times be completed in one or two appointments using dental sedation.
Risks
In most cases, dental sedation is safe and effective when performed by a dentist that has the proper training. However, it does not come with a risk-free guarantee. World Dental lists several side effects and risk factors associated with dental sedation that deserve consideration before deciding if this procedure is for you. Side effects can include headaches, nausea and vomiting. Although rare, death can occur if the medication dosage is incorrect or if patient monitoring procedures during the procedure are inadequate or incorrect. In addition, drug interactions can occur if you do not fully disclose all medications you take, and serious to fatal results can occur from failing to provide your dentist with information on underlying health conditions you may have, such as a heart condition.
