Sedation in Dentistry — How is the Treatment done without Stress?
Disclaimer: Not medical or professional advice. Always seek the advice of your physician.
The priority of modern dentistry is to provide the most comfortable and painless treatment, which will leave only good memories. But for those patients, who have been scared of dentists all their lives, are often recommended to have the procedure done under sedation. In this article, we will talk about how the procedure is done, if there are any side effects, and how safe it is for the patient.
What is Sedation?
Sedation (from the Latin Sedatio — to calm down), or restorative sleep – is a state when the brain receptors responsible for fear and anxiety are blocked, and the patient is asleep. The patient remains conscious and can do the tasks set by the doctor — for example, move their head or open their mouth. Other brain centers that are responsible for breathing and coughing work as usual. The patient enters a half-asleep phase straight after medication administration. The specific medications and doses are identified individually for each patient.
This method allows treating teeth in children without any difficulties and is used by doctors to perform complex dental procedures without anxiety in adults. Patients of different ages claim that they feel relaxed. Usually, we are person gets back to their normal state in an hour and can get back home.
When is Sedation Required?
In dentistry, sedation can be used for any procedures.
- implant installation
- removal of wisdom teeth
- simultaneous treatment of multiple caries
- preparation for dental prosthetics — long term teeth grinding before crown installation
- severe fear of dentists and panic
- increased reflux
- blood vessels and heart pathologies
- fear of dental procedures in children
What is the Difference Between Anesthesia and Sedation?
Anastasia in dentistry is pain relief in the area of the procedure. This is a required manipulation - a traditional injection into the gum near the damaged tooth. Sedation does not decrease the sensitivity, but the emotional load, while minimizing reflux in patients.
Anesthesia is used in inpatient treatment when surgery is needed. Patients under anesthesia cannot react to external irritants and require a few hours to exit this state.
Types of Sedation
There are two sedation types used in dentistry for calming down the patients.
- Superficial sedation is the best solution when the patient needs to relax for short-term treatment. It is prescribed for adults as well as children, from the age of 3. A state of pleasurable sleep is achieved by breathing in oxygen mixed with nitrous oxide. Mask that allows gas access is connected to a device. A doctor can control the proportion of components and dosage according to the personal needs of the patient.
- Deep sedation is done by intravenous administration of the medicine. This method is best at dealing with severe fear and anxiety. The relaxed state lasts longer than in superficial sedation. The patient needs to stay some take in the clinic and not drive for 8 hours.
Use of Sedation in the Treatment of Children
Children's dentistry uses nitrous oxide for sedation. The gas is administered through the nasal mask, and it is completely safe, does not cause addiction or allergies. A mix of oxygen with nitrous oxide allows the child to get used to the process and relax, while the doctor can do his job professionally and carefully.
Historical Note
Did you know that this gas was discovered around 250 years ago? American physicists studied a "new air" in nature and recreated it in the lab. The industry did not find a use of nitrous oxide, but wandering circus artists started to use its “happy” side effect. They secretly sprayed the gas on the viewers because many laughing people attracted curious onlookers, and a crow was forming around them.
In dentistry, features of nitrous oxide started to be used in the second part of the 19th century.
In December 1844, American dentist Choral Wales decided to use nitrous oxide in his dental practice, but first, he tried it on himself. He used the nitrous oxide left by the artists and asked his colleague, John Riggs, to remove his problematic wisdom tooth. The removal went well, and Wales shared his success with the public by demonstrating it to his friends. He was very worried and did not count the amount of gas, and when he removed a patient's tooth, he shouted. People that were present started to laugh at Wales. It happened that they hurried with the conclusion, as the patient later said that even though he shouted, he nearly didn’t feel the pain. Since then, nitrous oxide has started to be used in dentistry and other fields of medicine.
How to Prepare for Sedation
There is no need for special preparation for sedation. It is worth just remembering that it is not possible to eat 4 hours before the treatment. Moreover, it is forbidden to drink strong tea or coffee, alcohol, or fizzy drinks. After the procedure (fillings, teeth removal, dental prosthetics under sedation), the patient is recommended the same precautions as after the standard treatment. The patient is prescribed medications and is set a date for a follow-up visit.
Exiting the Sedation State
Depending on the medication used and it’s administration method, the awakening of the patient slightly differs. For medications administered through inhalation, the patient awakes when the gas release is stopped. After intravenous administration, the patient returns to full consciousness 2 hours after the end of the procedure. Sometimes they may still feel weakness and drowsiness. Therefore, driving is prohibited.
If you have other questions about sedation, please, make an appointment in Dental World.