Sedation allows doctors to perform procedures without causing pain or anxiety to their patients. Dental patients can also take advantage of sedation in the form of sedation dentistry. Oral, inhalant, and intravenous medications can all be used to provide varying levels of sedation. The lightest levels of sedation leave patients fully conscious, while deep sedation can leave a patient completely unconscious. Your dentist can help you decide what level of sedation is right for your unique situation. People with these conditions may find that sedation dentistry is a good choice for them:
1. Dental Phobia
Dental phobias are common. People with dental phobias may experience panic attacks, tachycardia, and other symptoms of anxiety as soon as they set foot in a dentist's office. These symptoms can become more pronounced when invasive procedures are necessary. Light to moderate sedation can help people with dental phobias have comfortable dental appointments.
2. Tremors Or Spasms
Some people experience uncontrollable body movements due to medical conditions. People with Tourette syndrome or cerebral palsy often experience physical tics and spasms that may make dental procedures unsafe since sudden movements may cause dentists to injure your teeth or oral soft tissue. Luckily, full sedation can allow people with tremors and spasms to get the dental procedures they need. Talking to a sedation dentist about your physical challenges will allow them to come up with a treatment plan for you.
3. Resistance To Local Anesthesia
Most dental procedures are performed using local anesthesia, which prevents patients from feeling pain while dentists work on their teeth. Local anesthesia is typically injected into a patient's soft tissue adjacent to the teeth that will be worked on. However, some people are resistant to the effects of local anesthesia. This can occur when a person's teeth are overly sensitive or when they metabolize drugs differently than most people. Fortunately, people who are resistant to local anesthesia can still get dental fillings and root canals. Full sedation using general anesthesia is one option available to these patients.
4. Sensory Processing Issues
Some people have sensory processing issues that make it difficult to cope with certain sights, sounds, or physical sensations. Unfortunately, the dentist's office is full of unusual noises, smells, bright lights, and physical feelings that may trigger discomfort in people with these issues. People with autism and other forms of neurodivergence that cause sensory processing issues may be most comfortable undergoing dental procedures while sedated.
To learn more about sedation dentistry practices, contact a dentist in your area today.
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