Maybe you’ve heard about sedation dentistry via a roadside billboard claiming your dental anxiety can be washed away with the help of a sedative. Maybe it was a TV commercial. Maybe it was word of mouth. Turns out, it’s likely much of the hype you’ve seen and heard about sedation dentistry is true. Find out more about your options for sedation in Dana Point, CA and get to know this sector of dentistry a bit better.
Is Sedation the Same as Anesthesia?
They can both help you sleep through a procedure, but no: sedation and anesthesia aren’t the same. Local and general anesthesia are used to numb pain. Under local anesthesia, a specific area of your body is numbed, while general anesthesia entails putting a patient under for a procedure.
Sedation, on the other hand, entails using sedatives like Valium and Halcion to relax a patient. The level of sedation ranges from feelings of calm to altered levels of consciousness to being sedated heavily enough that you sleep. Patients who fall asleep from sedation dentistry can be roused when the procedure is done, while patients under general anesthesia will likely need to sleep off the medication before waking.
How Are Sedatives Administered?
Because sedatives are meant to relax already anxious patients, dentists usually offer options so that each patient can choose the least intimidating option for their self.
Here are some of the common ways sedatives are administered in the dentist’s office:
Nitrous oxide – this gas, sometimes called “laughing gas,” is administered via a face mask.
Intravenously (IV) – the delivery method entails injecting a sedative into a patient’s arm via IV.
Oral sedatives – patients simply take a sedative by mouth, though this method is less common because of the time it takes the medication to kick in.
Where Can I Find Out Even More?
Still have questions about sedation dentistry? Want to know what options are best for you, personally? Talk to a local dentist about your options for sedation in Dana Point, CA.
Click here to schedule your consultation.
