03 Aug 08 Sedation Dentistry Marietta
Types of sedation
Most dentists and dental surgeons use four main types of sedation.
• Oral sedatives
Medications administered orally like diazepam can be given to a patient the night prior to a procedure or an hour before the procedure, depending on the level of anxiety. It is important to note that oral sedatives to not prevent pain, so a local anesthetic injection will also be administered.
• Intravenous (IV) sedation
This type of sedation is administered intravenously, or by way of an IV. Like oral sedatives, intravenous sedation does not provide pain relief, so an injection of local anesthetic will also be administered in addition to this method of dental sedation.
• Nitrous oxide sedation
In one form of conscious inhalation sedation, nitrous oxide gas (or laughing gas) is used to induce a state of relaxation. This method also requires a local anesthetic to be injected along with the nitrous oxide—to eliminate pain.
• General Anesthesia
This method of dental sedation refers to the use of anesthetic to bring you to an unconscious state. Unlike other sedation methods, when you are under a general anesthesia, you will be completely unaware of your surroundings, so the use of a local the anesthetic is not necessary.
Tags: Marietta, Sedation Dentistry
