For almost 30 to 40 million people in the United States alone just about nothing can match the fear of the dental surgery. This article explores the changes brought about by the arrival of sedation dentists.
For more or less 30 to 40 million people in north America alone nothing can match the fear of the dental surgery. For a large number of of us that terrifying experience, first encountered as youngsters, stays with us for the rest of our lives and a visit to the surgery is something only to be considered when the very worst of tooth ache leaves us with absolutely no alternative.
There are many reasons for avoiding the dental office including difficulty in sitting still or controlling your movements, sensitive teeth, a dislike of the smell of the dental surgery, a fear of the dentist’s drill, and an immunity to standard dental painkilling injections to name only a few.
Now, however, the coming of sedation dentists allows us to obtain the dental treatment necessary without those fears and anxiety.
Sedation dentists do not knock patients out entirely, but put them into an extremely relaxed state so that they do not feel any pain from the work being undertaken and, more often than not, don’t even remember the work being done.
There are a number of choices open to the patient including:
Nitrous oxide – Nitrous oxide gas (also known as laughing gas) is given to create a state of relaxation. A local anaesthetic is given as well as nitrous oxide for pain relief.
General anaesthesia – Here the patient is given an injection to render them unconscious. Because the patient is unconscious, no local anaesthetic in necessary for pain relief.
Oral sedation – The patient takes a tablet about an hour before the appointment. Oral sedation acts to relax the patient but without offering pain relief, so an injection of local anaesthetic will also be given.
Intravenous sedation – In the case of intravenous sedation the patient is given an injection, in preference to a tablet. As with oral sedation this method doesn’t provide pain relief, so an injection of local anaesthetic is also used.
Sedation can be used for short and easy procedures with sedation lasting up to an hour, or for more elaborated multiple treatments, where sedation may last for as long as perhaps six hours.
The advent of sedation dentists is perhaps one of the greatest improvements to dental care in recent years and allows dentists to perform treatment on patients who would not otherwise consider having treatment.
Individuals who avoid dental work because of fear and anxiety don’t need to worry any longer as sedation dentists have made this vital element of our health care system accessible to all.
