Types of Sedation

When it comes to sedation dentistry, sedative methods vary in strength and purpose; however, no one modality is considered better than others. Rather, each sedation dentistry modality is designed to serve a specific purpose. While the sedation dentist decides on the modality, you can ask for stronger sedatives if you suffer from severe anxieties.

Local Anesthesia - The most common method is local anesthesia, which can be administered via injection in the mouth. In this case, a topical anesthetic gel that produces a numbing effect is swabbed on the area being worked on prior to injection. Local anesthetics are convenient because they leave you conscious and fully aware. Local anesthetics are best used for minor dental procedures.

Inhalation Analgesia (also known as Laughing Gas or Nitrous Oxide) - In order to administer Nitrous Oxide, a small nose-hood is placed over the nose, through which nitrous oxide or "laughing gas" is administered prior to and throughout the treatment. People typically experience an overall feeling of well-being, tingling and numbness. Nitrous Oxide is one of the more commonly requested types of anesthesia from people who have anxieties about their procedure.

Oral Sedation - In the form of a small pill, oral sedation is given before dental procedures to diminish awareness of pain, sounds, and smells. Oral sedation is most commonly associated with sedation dentistry.

Intravenous Sedation - Intravenous sedation can also make people feel as if they are actually asleep much like oral sedation. The difference between oral and intravenous is in the route of administration. Intravenous sedation is administered through an injection. It is best used for shorter dental procedures and has an advantage over oral sedation because the onset of sedation action is nearly instant. Amnesia is a common side effect of intravenous sedation and oral sedation, often leading people to believe that their procedure lasted mere minutes.

Intramuscular Sedation - After injection into the muscles of the upper arm or upper thigh, intramuscular drugs can cause sedation within five minutes. Its use in dentistry is less common.

General Anesthesia - General anesthesia is not a type of sedation dentistry. General anesthesia produces unconsciousness, the effects of which may linger for hours after procedure completion. General anesthesia is commonly used for oral surgery and for a small percentage of people who are not good candidates for sedation dentistry.

In all cases of sedation dentistry, it is important to have an escort accompany you to the procedure, drive you home after the procedure is complete, and stay with you for an additional two to four hours at home.