If you have sensitive teeth, a fear of dentists and needles or have limited time to spend on dental care with the dentist, sedation during dentistry procedures can help you. Sedation dentistry allows you to be sedated just enough to be free of pain during the treatment. It will numb your pain and make you feel totally relaxed during your dental treatment.
The duration of the numbness varies from drug to drug – some provide pain relief for a short duration (two to three hours) while others provide relief for up to twelve hours. The sedation dentist will select a drug that is appropriate for the planned dental care procedure.
Before beginning work, the sedation dentist will thoroughly review your medical history and then monitor you closely during your sedation dental treatment.
Selecting a sedation dentist
Finding the right sedation dentist is an important factor if you are opting for dental treatments under sedation. To find a good sedation dental practitioner, you will have to do some research on the dentists offering sedation dentistry in your area. You can start by considering suggestions from friends, relatives and co-workers who can help you to shortlist the good ones. You can also browse through websites like www.4sedationdentistry.com for finding sedation dentists in your area. Some sites also offer reviews and comments of patients who had undergone sedation dental treatments.
You should compare as many options as you can before finally selecting a sedation dentist. Not every dentist carries the credentials to use sedation. Basic dental training provides only limited education in sedation dentistry. A good sedation dentist should be the one who has the necessary training and specialized knowledge in sedation dentistry.
Types of Dental Sedation
The common forms of dental sedation methods are:
- Inhalation sedation, also known as relative analgesia, involves breathing in a mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide through a special nose piece.
- Oral sedation – anti-anxiety pills or liquids are given orally to produce sedation.
Intravenous (IV) sedation – drugs are administered into the blood-stream through a vein in the arm. - Local anesthesia – this is an injection in the gum and is the ideal method to control pain.
- Intranasal sedation – this involves squirting a concentrated form of a sedative drug up your nose.
- General anesthesia – it is used while performing oral surgery. It is performed on patients who require a lot of dental work or who have extreme dental phobia.
Dental treatments done under sedation
Sedation dentists can replace crowns or dentures, restore sore gums to good health and fix a chipped tooth. Many complex procedures can also be performed under sedation including root canals, cavities, cosmetic surgery, etc.
Cost of sedation dental treatment
The cost of sedation dentistry may range from a few hundred dollars to over a thousand dollars, depending on the geographical location and the type of sedation used. Light sedation is the most common form of dental sedation. It usually includes either oral sedatives or nitrous oxide gas. Cost of light sedation comes to around $200 to $300. In general anesthesia or IV sedation, the sedation will be usually done by an anesthesiologist who may charge from $100 to $300 an hour.
Finding the right sedation dentist can virtually eliminate the pain associated with dental procedures and can reduce your anxieties associated with visiting a dentist.