Different types of anesthesia available for sedation dentistry

Do you have a cavity that needs to be removed and filled? If so, you are probably wondering what types of sedation anesthesia is available in order for you to take part of. Sedation dentistry has been a regular practice of dentists everywhere as some procedures just need the patient to be knocked out in order to do. These types of procedures can involve sever cavities, wisdom teeth removal, tooth extraction, crowns etc. Here are a few explanations of the different anesthesia that can be used when undergoing sedation dentistry procedures.

The first option is called oral conscious sedation. This is typically administered by use of a pill before the patient undergoes the procedure. This pill causes the patient to become very sleepy and diminishes their awareness of sounds and smells. While the patient is conscious, they usually don't remember anything, just as if they were knocked out. This is a very popular method of anesthesia used when having wisdom teeth removed as it allows the patient to reduce side effects felt, and it allows the patient to breathe independently. This type of sedation is called "sleep" dentistry and can work very well for many different procedures.

The next option is intravenous sedation. The effects of this sedation is very similar to oral conscious sedation as they are still in a sleepy type mode, but usually don't remember anything. These drugs are administered through an IV in order to allow it to pass through the blood stream of the patient. The biggest benefit from this type of drug is that the patient does not remember the procedure while also allowing the patient to have a quick recovery from the sedation.

The last and final form of sedation is general anesthesia, which is the most dependable of sleep sedation anesthesia. The effects of this can last for hours, and many patients safely return home within 2 to 4 hours after treatment once they wake up. An anesthesiologist is used to monitor the patient during this type of procedure as the doses may need to be increased or backed up in order to keep the patient in a stable condition for the procedure.

As you can see, there are several different ways that sedation dentistry can take place, and knowing your options is important. Your dentist will recommend the best sedation option for you to participate in depending on the type of procedure that is to be performed.

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