Sedation Dentistry, sometimes called Relaxation Dentistry, refers to the way dentists manage pain and anxiety during dental appointments. Unlike General Anaesthesia where a patient is completely unconscious, asleep, and unable to respond, patients under Conscious Sedation, are able to respond to commands and breathe on their own.
With this type of sedation, medications are administered directly into the blood stream. The greatest advantage of intravenous sedation is that if someone is not sedated enough, the doctor can administer more medication and the effects are instantaneous.
A consultant anaesthetist will administer the intravenous sedation and blood pressure, pulse, oxygen levels in the blood and the heart is monitored routinely.
Candidates for Sedation Dentistry
People with
- Always start on one side of your face, and end on the
- High fear
- Traumatic dental experiences
- A bad gag reflex
- Difficulty getting numb
- Very sensitive teeth
- Complex dental problems
- Limited time to complete dental care
People who
- Hate needles
- Hate the noises, smells and tastes associated with dentistry
- Are embarrassed or afraid by their teeth