When advertised, sedation dentistry often seems like it’s only a treatment for dental anxiety. “Afraid of the dentist? Scared that a procedure could hurt? Dental sedation will calm you down so you can have a comfortable appointment!” However, it actually has other uses as well. To prove it, here’s a summary of five major benefits of sedation dentistry in McMinnville. Read about them to see if you might want to be sedated for your next appointment.
Just What *is* Sedation Dentistry?
Sedation dentistry is a set of methods that help patients relax before and during treatment. It usually involves giving them an anesthetic or sedative with calming effects, which includes one or several drugs on the day of an appointment.
It generally takes either one of two forms: Nitrous oxide sedation or oral conscious sedation. The former involves inhaling a gas called nitrous oxide, the so-called “laughing gas” that causes feelings of calm and euphoria. The latter has you take a pill an hour before the procedure, allowing you to feel physically and mentally calm by the right time.
Five Benefits of Sedation Dentistry (Besides Treating Dental Anxiety)
While primarily used to help patients feel less anxious, sedation dentistry can raise treatment effectiveness in other ways. These include the following:
- It reduces the procedure time by making the patient more compliant.
- It lets the patient remain awake and responsive to verbal commands and physical touch. In other words, it makes treatment easier than if you were completely unconscious.
- It helps patients forget most of what happens during their appointment. As a result, it gives them the impression that the treatment went by quickly.
- When sedated, patients can undergo multiple dental procedures during a single appointment.
- Sedation dentistry allows for a quicker recovery from treatment effects, often allowing patients to return to work after the appointment.
Before it’s implemented, your dentist will review your medical history and ask about your medications to ensure the sedation’s safety. This way, they can prevent potentially harmful drug interactions. The dental team will also check your vitals during the procedure, thus preventing anything dangerous from happening.
As you can see, even those without dental anxiety can profit from sedation dentistry. Given the effects listed above, talk to your dentist to see if you might qualify for it in future dental visits.
About the Practice
Evans Street Dental is based in McMinnville, OR. As led by Dr. Natalya Ramsay, their team provides a higher standard of care than your regular dental office. They supply many dentistry services in-house, including a wide range of preventive, restorative, and cosmetic treatments. In addition, they also offer sedation and emergency dental services. For more information or to book an appointment, they can be reached at their website or by phone at (503)-472-1402.