What Happens During Sedation Dentistry?
Last updated : December 29, 2016Posted by: Newton Dentistry
Your dentist may prescribe medication for you to take at home an hour before your appointment to manage anxiety and relax you. You’ll almost certainly want to bring a companion with you on the trip to and from the dentist’s office. You may be convinced that you can get there on your own, but you’re probably wrong. Get someone to drive or escort you.
Once you are at the dentist’s office you may receive more sedation, either orally (liquid or pill) or intravenously. You will likely receive local anesthetic painkillers as well, which will be injected or applied to your gums (some forms of sedation, such as nitrous oxide or “laughing gas,” help to manage anxiety very well but have limited pain-killing effects). Ask your sedation dental office to detail the process for you so you know what to expect.
Afterwards, if you’ve had light sedation, you’ll probably be able to leave right after treatment is over. For deeper sedation, you’ll relax in the dentist’s chair or a recovery room until you’re ready to head home.
Mild to moderate sedation may leave you with no or very few memories of your time in the dentist’s chair. You’ll either wake up and it will all be over, or you’ll be somewhat aware of the process but entirely uninterested or perhaps amused about the whole thing.
Once you are at the dentist’s office you may receive more sedation, either orally (liquid or pill) or intravenously. You will likely receive local anesthetic painkillers as well, which will be injected or applied to your gums (some forms of sedation, such as nitrous oxide or “laughing gas,” help to manage anxiety very well but have limited pain-killing effects). Ask your sedation dental office to detail the process for you so you know what to expect.
Afterwards, if you’ve had light sedation, you’ll probably be able to leave right after treatment is over. For deeper sedation, you’ll relax in the dentist’s chair or a recovery room until you’re ready to head home.
Mild to moderate sedation may leave you with no or very few memories of your time in the dentist’s chair. You’ll either wake up and it will all be over, or you’ll be somewhat aware of the process but entirely uninterested or perhaps amused about the whole thing.
