1. Will I feel any pain?
Most patients feel no discomfort whatsoever during their treatment and feel surprisingly good afterwards.
2. Will I be totally relaxed?
You'll receive just enough sedation so that you'll be completely unaware of the treatment, as you would if you were asleep.
3. Will I remember anything?
At the end of the treatment, you'll have little or no memory of your dental visit.
4. Will I be groggy after my treatment is over?
You will feel just fine. For your safety, we do require that you have a family member or friend drive you home, and that you do not drive for 24 hours. We also recommend for your safety to stay at home for the rest of the day.
5. Is Sedation Dentistry safe for me?
Before starting any treatment, we review your medical history, and we monitor you very closely while you're under sedation. If you are not suitable for sedation we will recommend alternative treatment.
6. What is the medication that is used in oral sedation?
It is a little blue pill. A sedative hypnotic pill called Triazolam that is in the same family as Valium. It is short acting, and half of it is used up by your body within 2 hours. It is the same medication that is prescribed hundreds of thousands of times a year by physicians as a very safe prescription sleeping aid. The drug enforcement administration has categorized it as a schedule IV substance, which means it is only one category higher than common aspirin. And, used for dental sedation there has never been a single case of a severe emergency using it in the dental office and there has never ever been a death using this medication in a dental office either. I emphasize, this medication is very, very safe. Again, this medication does not produce a deep sedation or general anesthesia.
Why do we only use a pill, intravenous medications or gas, and not general anesthesia.. Well, 99% of time deep sedation or general anesthesia is just not necessary for general dentistry. Certainly, deep sedation and general anesthesia carries increased risks and is more dangerous. Before I began using oral sedation, I practiced sedation dentistry with the help of an anesthesiologist. I still work with the anesthesiologist on the rare occasions when it is the only appropriate option. Another important thing is that some people who come to us are actually are afraid of needles, and don't want an I.V. in their arm. In this scenario we use the pill or inhalation sedation with nitrous oxide-oxygen ora pill is used for oral conscious sedation. The pill we use is placed under the tongue, allowed to dissolve and that's it! How much easier can that be? Another question we frequently hear is "are there any special restrictions prior to sedation dentistry?" Yes, there are. *You won't be allowed to eat or drink anything after 7pm the night before your appointment. We usually like to schedule Sedation cases first thing in the morning so that you do not stay hungry for too long. Breakfast is the only meal you will miss. *No sedatives or alcohol 24 hours prior to or after your appointment. No stimulants, smoking or caffeine 12 hours before or after your appointment. *And of course, you'll need a responsible person to drive you to your appointment, and return to bring you back home again after your appointment is over
7. Does the medication have any side effects that you might notice?
Yes, there are two. First, some people get the hiccups, which usually only last a few minutes. And second, your mouth will become dry. But, if you do have one of these side effects you won't even remember having it.
Some people have difficulty getting numb at the dentist, and want to know how sedation dentistry will benefit them. Well, sedation dentistry helps a lot. Patients who are hard to get numb are much more responsive to getting numb when they are sedated.
8. How about gagging?
This is another great benefit with sedation dentistry. patients who gag easily have a much easier time with sedation dentistry, and find that their gag reaction is greatly reduced or non existent with sedation.
So, sedation dentistry has many benefits. It's great for those afraid of dentistry (dental phobias). It's great for people who want to have dentistry without pain. It's great for those who have a difficult time getting numb. And it's great for those who gag easily. And, I emphasize this, sedation dentistry is great for those who need to have a lot of dentistry done, as it allows many appointments that might be needed to be condensed into just a few!
In our dental practice we believe in making every effort so that your dentistry is done in the most comfortable manner possible. For many patients this means offering sedation dentistry. You wouldn't think about getting your tonsils out or your wisdom teeth out without sedation, or an operation on your nose or ear, or laser eye surgery, or for that matter, almost any other surgery. Why should you have to go without sedation for general dentistry? Why shouldn't you have your dentistry done in the most comfortable, and yet safe way possible? If you have concerns about your comfort with dentistry and your dentist isn't trained in using sedation or doesn't offer you sedation, why should you have to suffer? In our practice we will make every effort to make your dentistry a very pleasant and comfortable experience.
