Sedation Dentistry

Many people fear having dental surgery or even going to the dentist. Sometimes people go years without seeing a dentist because of debilitating anxiety. This is usually caused by a traumatic visit to the dentist during childhood, but not always. For people with such a fear, there is always sedation Nottingham dentistry as an alternative.

There are several options for sedation dentistry. Two of these options are anxiolysis or minimal sedation, and conscious sedation or moderate sedation. Before these procedures, the patient will be given a mild sedative in pill form, and/or receive nitrous oxide during the procedure.

With both of these approaches, the patient will be completely relaxed and feel as if they are ‘floating,’ or in a dream-like state, but they will remain conscious and responsive. This is also sometimes commonly miscalled ‘sleep dentistry.’ During the procedure, they won’t experience any stress or anxiety at all and time will pass much quicker. The patient also will recall little or nothing about the visit.

This state of sedation will also allow for the doctor to perform more than one procedure at once, especially if the patient hasn’t been to the dentist in a while and requires more than one procedure.

In what dentists commonly refer to as ‘sleep dentistry,’ the patient will receive general or IV anesthesia. While they are completely unconscious, the dental work will be done. However, this is not the best approach to take. The after effects can be uncomfortable, and sometimes involve nausea and grogginess.

Sedation dentistry can be a powerful means for those who need to overcome their fears of going to the dentist. For more information, contact your local Nottingham dentist for more information.