Given your fears, your dentist may want you to try sedation dentistry at your next visit. You could trust the field’s options to calm you down during your dental care. Still, what if you want to know what being under dental sedation is like first? You needn’t worry; your Norman practice can cover you on that front. In fact, just keep reading to learn how dental sedation feels and whether you’re a good candidate for it.
What’s Sedation Dentistry, Anyway?
At its core, sedation dentistry is a set of methods that relax people for dental work. It mainly relies on various sedatives to keep you calm for smooth and easy treatment. Depending on the kinds used, a patient may take one or several drugs on the day of their visit.
How Does Dental Sedation Feel?
Since it can feature many sedatives, dental sedation can cause a wide range of feelings. The sensations are often divided by the sedation types, including:
Nitrous Oxide Sedation
With nitrous oxide sedation, a patient breathes nitrous oxide or “laughing gas” during their care. This gas makes you calm and mildly euphoric, but also ensures you’re conscious. That means it leaves you aware of your surroundings and able to respond to dentist instructions.
Feelings from nitrous oxide quickly fade after your treatment. After you’ve stopped breathing the gas for a few minutes, its effects should have stopped.
Oral Conscious Sedation
Oral conscious sedation uses a pill taken before treatment, rather than a gas. This sedative takes effect when treatment starts and relaxes you more than nitrous oxide would. That said, it leaves you conscious enough to respond to dentist input.
Unlike nitrous oxide, oral conscious sedation’s effects take a while to fade. They’ll likely leave you groggy for several hours after your treatment. So, please have a friend or family member drive you home after your visit.
IV Sedation
IV sedation uses an IV to send a sedative directly into your bloodstream. That being the case, it offers the most intense relaxation of all sedation dentistry methods. While it should still leave you conscious, many patients tend to nod off due to its effects.
Like the oral conscious type, IV sedation has effects that persist hours after treatment. You’ll need someone you trust to drive you home from your visit.
Are You a Good Sedation Dentistry Candidate?
Given how it works, the best candidates for sedation dentistry have one (or more) of the following:
- Moderate to severe anxieties or phobias
- Trauma from previous dental experiences
- A highly active gag reflex
- Strong difficulties with sitting still
You really should feel fine being under dental sedation. However, feel free to talk to your dental provider if you want extra assurances.
About the Practice
Brown & Nawrocki Restorative and Cosmetic Dentistry is based in Ormond Beach, FL. Led by Drs. Nawrocki and Dennis, our practice is always ready to provide patients with gentle and personalized dental care. We offer a wide range of preventive, cosmetic, and restorative treatments, all tailored to your distinct smile and its unique needs! That way, whole families can achieve the thriving and pretty grins they’ve always dreamed of. For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (386)-677-1046.