What is sedation dentistry?

Many people are nervous of dental settings and therefore avoid regular checkups and critical dental treatment. As a result, both dental and general health can suffer. Sedation dentistry is a safe, efficient and effective way to overcome this fear, as it provides a relaxing and anxiety-free experience during dental procedures. Sedation dentistry maintains a level of consciousness in the patient for safety and cooperation, so that the patient is able to verbally respond to requests. It simply provides a comfortable, relaxed experience so that most patients have little or no memory of the visit; it is as if they sleep through the treatment.

 

Most dental treatments will still require the use of a local anaesthetic, for pain relief even when sedation dentistry techniques are performed. This will occur after the patient is already sedated and comfortable.

 

Regardless of the type of sedation dentistry you receive, it is important to have a responsible caregiver accompany you to the procedure, drive you home after the procedure is complete and stay with you for an additional two to four hours at home.

​

Benefits of sedation dentistry

One of the major benefits of sedation dentistry is that people often feel like their procedure lasts only a few minutes, when in fact it might have taken considerably longer to perform. This means that complex dental procedures that normally require multiple visits can often be performed in fewer appointments.