Benefits of Sedation Dentistry

With one out of 10 individuals avoiding getting dental work done due to fear and anxiety over visiting the dentist, sedation dentistry offers numerous benefits. Sedation dentistry involves the use of sedative drugs administered to the patient to help place them into a relaxed state prior to the start of any dental procedures. The administration of sedative drugs allows the patient to feel relaxed and pain-free throughout the entire dental procedure. The dentist will decide on the type of sedation to best suit the patient, which could range from such anti-anxiety drugs as nitrous oxide to conscious and deep sedation to anesthesia in which the patient is unconscious throughout the dental procedure. 

One of the biggest benefits of sedation dentistry is that it eliminates the patient’s fear, anxiety and nervousness. This is especially important for individuals whose fear and anxiety levels regarding dentistry have reached such epic levels that their fear of the dentist could be considered a phobia. Untreated dental problems can cause serious risks to an individual’s health and sedation dentistry offers the benefit of a pleasant and stress-free visit to the dentist.

A nervous patient is usually a fidgeting patient and patient movements during long procedures can endanger the individual as well as the dentist. Another benefit of sedation dentistry is that by placing the patient in a calm and relaxed mood, patient movements are minimized and they are able to sit quietly and still throughout what would otherwise be lengthy and tiresome procedures. Lack of movement on the patient’s part is especially essential during certain long procedures as well as dental surgery.

The use of sedation dentistry benefits both patient and dentist in providing a more pleasant experience for both parties. The patient remains stress-free and the dentist is able to go about his business without undue concern that the patient is suffering mentally or feels ready to jump out of the dental chair.

Many individuals who had one or more bad experiences in the dental chair when children can benefit from sedation dentistry because it allows them to experience having their dental work done without experiencing uncomfortable tension, anxiety or downright fear. Knowing that sedation dentistry is available to a patient makes them attend to dental problems before they become more serious or reach a point where they are creating other health issues in the patient. It is important to seek out a professional trained in sedation dentistry or pediatric sedation dentistry if the patient is a child.