Sedation Dentistry

A large number of dental patients really do not enjoy their visits – many due to fear, or nervousness. Many people would rather suffer through toothache than to book a dental appointment. Luckily for these people, more and more dental clinics are now offering sedation dentistry to take away the anxiety of visiting your dentist.

What is sedation dentistry? For people who opt for sedation, medications are used to help the patient relax throughout their dental procedure. A variety of sedation levels exist depending on what is needed for the procedure, and by that specific patient.

With a minimal sedation, the patient will still feel awake but will have a sense of relaxation. With moderate or “conscious” sedation, the patient will be able to continue to communicate with the dentist during the procedure, but likely won’t remember the dental visit. Deep sedation takes the patient right to the edge of consciousness, while still giving the dentist the option of waking the patient if necessary. Lastly, some patients require general anaesthesia, which renders the patient completely unconscious and unable to respond. General anaesthesia would require the help of an anaesthesiologist as well as the dentist.

Some dentists are able to offer patients oral sedation and nitrous oxide gas. Many can also offer moderate sedation – however, deeper sedation levels are complex and present additional risks, therefore additional help and training is required.

If you feel you would benefit from sedation during your dental treatments, there are a select few BC dentists that can offer sedation for you. Ask your dentist if this is something they offer, or if they can recommend a reputable dentist who can.