What Is Sedation Dentistry? An Inside Look Into How It Works and Why It Is Used

Does the thought of seeing a dentist make your stomach queasy? Does your dental anxiety cause you to skip dental appointments? If so, we’d like to introduce you to sedation dentistry.

Your oral health is essential, and the longer you postpone your dental visits, the more you put yourself at risk of developing severe oral health issues. However, as dentists, we understand that many people have dental anxiety. Therefore, to cater to our patients who have dental phobia, we provide sedation dentistry to help them breeze through their dental visits.

We offer painless dentistry regardless of the dental procedure you are undertaking, be it routine cleanings or major procedures.

Sedation Dentistry

Typically, in sedation dentistry, our dentist may administer different drugs or substances to ensure that you are calm enough to undergo a dental procedure. The whole idea is to ease your tension and give you are a relaxed feeling during the entire process.

Unfortunately, some people have a misunderstanding of sedation dentistry. They believe that all sedation methods will make them unconscious or unresponsive during the procedure, which ends up increasing their anxiety. This can make it even harder for them to receive the treatment that they need.

However, there are various forms and levels of sedation available, and not all of them will make you unconscious. The type and level of sedation are determined by the procedure and your level of anxiety or fear.

Why Is Sedation Dentistry Necessary?

Sedation dentistry is deemed necessary under the following circumstances:

• If you have a sensitive gag reflex
• If you are resistant to local anesthesia
• If you have a low threshold of pain
• If you suffer from an anxiety disorder or any other disorder that can compromise the procedure
• If you have had a past traumatic dental experience

Is Sedation Dentistry Safe?

When sedation dentistry is administered by a trained, experienced and certified dentist, then it is safe. Our dentist will determine the type and level of sedation that is appropriate for you.

At Mertz Family Dentistry, we would love for you to have a painless and comfortable experience. Contact us today if you need sedation dentistry.