Sedation Dentistry San Bernardino, California
Are you afraid of dental treatment? Do you avoid visiting dentists because of the fear of pain from dental procedures? You are not alone. A survey has shown that many Americans have dental phobia. The phobia can demotivate people from visiting dental practice and make them compromise with their dental health. There are many examples of patients enduring toothache for many days because they are afraid of dental treatment. This fear can cause serious dental problems. Just like local anesthesia, which is used for painless treatment, sedation is a method followed to keep the patients relaxed during the procedure. There are different levels of sedatives used to achieve various levels of relaxation. Some methods can leave patients in bare consciousness while the dentist is treating them. The patient may feel that a long procedure completed quickly after he/she recovers from sedation process.
We have been using sedation dentistry processes in our San Bernardino office to promote oral health in our patients. Most of our patients are happy to visit us because of the quality of our treatment and our sedation procedures which relieve them from anxiety.
Sedation dentistry – How it works?
There are a number of modes of sedation used for the purpose of keeping the patients relaxed. The choice of a particular sedative depends on the anxiety level of patient and the length of the procedure.
Mild sedationMild sedation is used for procedures that do not take much time to complete and for patients who are not really anxious but just need some support to make them feel comfortable. Nitrous oxide is used for the purpose. The gas is inhaled along with oxygen. It gives a euphoric effect to patients. Patients can quickly recover after the treatment.
Moderate sedationModerate sedation is used to keep patients more relaxed while performing the dental procedure. For patients who are anxious about the treatment a sedative which can reduce the level of consciousness may be required. The patient will still be able to respond to verbal commands during the treatment. The team will monitor patient’s respiration, blood pressure and pulse rate from time-to-time. Patients should follow post-operative instructions.
Deep sedationDeep sedation can further reduce the consciousness of patients. They may not be able to respond to verbal commands and may require physical stimulation. Patients may need some time to recover and may have to be observed for about 6-8 hours after the treatment. Irrespective of the type of sedative, it is important for patients to follow instructions of the dentist for safe and effective sedation process.
