Sedation Dentistry - The Different Levels Available

Sedation dentistry involves putting a patient into a relaxed state in order to minimize the amount of pain that they feel. This is something that is similar to anesthesia; however, in most cases it's not as powerful. It can be, though, at a certain level. This is something that is extremely valuable and important. There would be no way for a dentist to complete certain procedures without the use of sedatives. That is because the patient would be in too much pain to endure the procedure. Contrary to what some may believe, however, there are different levels of this particular treatment. The first type of sedation dentistry is very minimal. At this level, the patient is relaxed yet responsive to physical stimulation. In other words, they can feel what is going on. This level is appropriate for procedures that don't cause much physical pain. In fact, it would be a good method to use on younger children, who tend to be fidgety during their dental visits. Because children have a short attention span, it doesn't take them very long to get bored and restless. When they get restless, it becomes difficult for them to keep still. So, in order to help the dentist complete their regular dental check-up, a very light sedative could be used. The next level of sedation dentistry is moderate. This type of sedative allows the patient to be even more relaxed than the aforementioned example. It also takes more pressure for the patient to actually feel anything. For example, although the person may not be able to feel the stimuli of a regular dental check-up, they would most likely feel if a dentist was shaving one of their teeth down. This procedure is usually done when someone's teeth are uneven in height. So, although this type of operation may not necessarily cause pain, it could be irritating. So, the sedative would allow the patient to have somewhat of a buffer from the irritation. The last level of sedation dentistry actually has the patient at an unconsciousness state. This level is what many people envision when they think of this type of treatment. In this case, the patient would not be able to feel anything at all. This is reserved for operations that are very physically painful. This could include tooth extraction operations or even some types of reconstructive surgeries. So, sedation dentistry involves more aspects than some people may realize. Although some people may be leery about taking sedatives, they must realize that it is only for their good. Without them, the dentist would be unable to complete their work and the patient would experience unnecessary pain.