There is a chance that you will need to have invasive dental work at some point in your life. You might worry about pain or the sounds of machinery. Fortunately, we offer conscious sedation dentistry at our office. Sedation is used to make you more comfortable with your procedure and ease your dental anxiety.
If you want to learn more, please keep reading. We also provide free consultations with our Los Angeles dentist Dr. Mobasser. Call us today to get your free consultation set up. You can get all of your questions and concerns addressed right away.
What is Conscious Sedation Dentistry?
Conscious sedation allows you to receive dental work without worrying about anxiety or experiencing pain. You will receive a relaxing and pain-blocking medication to keep you comfortable while you get your dental treatment.
You will likely feel sleepy, but you will not be totally unconscious during the procedure. You will be able to recover from the sedation relatively quickly after your dental work, and you can get back to your daily life shortly after that.
You will be monitored throughout your procedure to ensure that your blood oxygen levels, heart rate, and blood pressure are as safe.
You are typically only going to find sedation that renders you unconscious for more involved oral surgeries such as jaw surgery or a full set of dental implants. That is due to the hazards that are associated with general anesthesia.
With unconscious sedation, you are more at risk of going into respiratory distress. These risks are not likely to be taken for a procedure that can be (as is often) done with conscious sedation.
What Treatments Require Sedation?
There are several treatments that your dentist will use sedation. Dr. Mobasser performs full mouth reconstructions, which may include treatments like dental veneers, dental implants, and more. In some cases, you may need corrective surgery.
While veneers may not require any level of sedation, dental implants and jaw surgery certainly do.
Any procedure that will involve invasive work will likely be a candidate for some level of conscious sedation dentistry.
As mentioned above, you may need general anesthesia if you need major jaw surgery. You can work with your dentist to devise a treatment plan and what type of sedation will be required.
Dental bonding, fillings, veneers, Lumineers, and dental cleanings typically do not require sedation unless you get cleanings under your gums.
You are more likely to be offered sedation for dental implants, TMJ correction surgery, and severe dental anxiety that would interfere with your ability to receive necessary treatments.
What Medicines Are Used for Conscious Sedation Dentistry?
Several medication options can be used in conscious sedation. You may be offered oral medication such as Ativan or Valium before your procedure to help you relax. You could be sleepy enough to fall asleep during your procedure, but you can easily be woken up.
Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, is used in many procedures. Like oral sedation, this will leave you relaxed but will not make you sleep, and you will probably not remember all that much about your treatment.
You may get IV sedation for conscious sedation with close monitoring by your team during the procedure. This is not the same as general anesthesia, and it does ease you for your treatment, though.
In most cases, you will still get Novocaine injections to numb the area on top of your sedation. If you have questions about the type of medication you will receive, please do not hesitate to reach out to us right away.
Call Our Los Angeles Dentist for a Free Consultation
If you want to know more about conscious sedation dentistry, please do not hesitate to get in touch. We would be glad to set you up with a free consultation at our Los Angeles office to meet with our celebrity dentist, Dr. Mobasser.
