Q. What is
the purpose of sedation dentistry?
A. Many people have strong
fears associated with dental care that makes it hard for them to
get their work done. Other patients need a lot of work and do
not want to have to come for many visits. They want to get it
done in the fewest visits possible. In either case, being
sedated makes the patients unaware of what is going on and they
can get through their appointments with ease and comfort.
Q. How does
sedation dentistry work?
A. Sedation dentistry works by
taking a pill that relaxes you and puts you in a twilight state
of consciousness. You alternate between being conscious and
drifting off to sleep. And best of all, most people have very
little if any memory of the entire dental visit.
Q. What
happens before the visit?
A. You have nothing to eat or
drink from midnight on the day prior to your visits. If you
take routine medicines you MUST discuss this with the doctor at
your consultation visit. Different medicines can interact with
each other and it is important that we know anything you take.
That includes all vitamins, mineral and herbal supplements of
any kind and especially nicotine (in tobacco products) and
caffeine (in tea or coffee).
You will be brought to
the office by your companion who will receive their instructions
as well. They do not have to stay at the office for the entire
time but they will need to give us a phone number so we can call
them to come and pick you up when you work is complete.
Q. What
happens after the visit?
A. You will be escorted from
the office directly home by your companion who must seat belt
you into your car and take you into your home and get you
comfortable and settled to sleep and rest for the balance of the
day. You cannot be left alone because you will still be sleepy
for several hours and might slip and fall if unattended. It is
very important that you drink lots of water or fruit juice and
when any numbness is gone, soft and easy to digest foods are
suggested.
We will review the post
operative instructions with your companion before you leave the
office.
Q. What
about traveling to the office, working, driving my car or caring
for my children?
A. The medicines that we use
for sedation are designed to make you comfortable and not aware
of your environment. As such you cannot drive a car, operate
machinery, stand on a ladder, ride a bicycle or any activity
that requires fully conscious awareness or judgment until the
next day after sedation dentistry.
That includes making
important business or personal decisions. You will need to be
accompanied to and from the office directly home where you will
spend the remainder of the day sleeping and letting the sedation
medicines pass out of your system.
Q. Who is a
candidate for sedation dentistry?
A. Anyone who wants to have
dental work done in a state of comfort and relaxation is a
candidate for sedation dentistry. Specific examples are
patients who have a hard time getting numb, have a strong gag
reflex, patients who have significant fears of dental treatment,
have had bad experiences in the past and patients who simply
want to get a lot of work done in a long visit without being
aware of the time in the dental chair.
Q. What is
the process like?
A. The patient refrains from
eating or drinking after midnight the day before other than
taking any routine medication. (This will be gone over in
detail at your consultation visit prior to any sedation.) When
you arrive at the office you will be give some medication and
escorted to the dental room where you will be seated and made
comfortable with a soft blanket and placed on a medical pulse
oximeter to monitor your vital signs. When you are at a
comfortable state, we will take care of your dental needs. When
the dental work is competed you will be aroused and dismissed
from the office.
Q.
Any final thoughts?
A. Most of our patients
response, after their visits when they return to the office for
follow up care say something like, “That was so amazing. If I
knew it would be so easy, I would have done it years ago.” All
of your work can be done with sedation, which is up to you. But
many of our patients feel so much better after the get the
longer visits completed that they feel great about having easier
and shorter visits completed without sedation. That is of
course entirely up to you.
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