Going to the dentist can be a highly traumatic experience for many people, and sedation dentistry (or relaxation dentistry) has been of enormous value to many who face anxieties over dental procedures. Fear of the dentist or of dentistry is a huge inhibiting factor in many people's dental health programme, and can lead to serious gum and tooth disease through not being able to make and keep regular check up appointments.

What is involved in Sedation Dentistry?

Dentists who offer sedation dentistry in their practices use two one or both of common types of sedation - oral conscious sedation and inhalation sedation.

Oral Conscious Sedation

The process which involves the taking of oral sedatives before a dental procedure is called Oral Conscious Sedation. The patient will adopt a feeling of well-being and become relaxed after ingesting the sedatives. Stress and worry over treatments will be dissipated, and the dentist will be able to perform any procedures necessary. The patient will still be conscious and able to comprehend and respond to any instructions given by the dentist, hence the name oral conscious sedation.

With the oral conscious sedation method, the patient will be instructed to take a prescribed sedative the night prior to the procedure before going to bed, and a further sedative in the morning on waking up. This means that the patient must be driven to and from the procedure. Many patients are quoted as saying that using this sedation method, they did not remember much about the dental examination or procedure once it was over.

Inhalation Sedation

The inhalation of Oxygen and Nitrous Oxide, commonly referred to as laughing gas, is called Inhalation Sedation This method of sedation is often favoured by dentists who perform sedation dentistry because of the rapid effect it has on the patient and the subsequent recovery speed after the procedure. The patient will sometimes fall asleep after the sedation has been administered and will often remember little or nothing of the procedures involved. Inhalation sedation has been widely used by dentists for many years.

Why Have Sedation Dentistry

Other than the patient anxiety factor mentioned earlier, sedation dentistry can be helpful to the dentists too, for example where there may be a difficult part of a procedure in an inaccessible part of the mouth, where the dentist may need to be necessarily a little more 'rugged'.

For patients the benefits can be huge; particularly when there is a large amount of oral work to be done, using sedation this can often be performed in one sitting rather than over several appointments, thus avoiding repeating and increasing the patient's anxiety.

Which is the Best Type of Sedation

While the choice of sedation is pretty much up to the individual, your dentist may advise on one method as a better option given your dental history and the procedure to be undertaken. Both types have their advantages, but the effects of inhalation sedation are shorter lasting and less prohibitive on the patient's ability to resume normal day-to-day activities quickly.

Other Forms of Sedation Dentistry

There are two other methods of sedation dentistry - intravenous conscious sedation where sedatives are given intravenously, and general anaesthesia, which is normally only undertaken in dental hospitals, and is either inhaled or intravenous, or both.

The information above is for your general information only, and does not replace the need to seek personal advice from a qualified dental health professional.