Safe Sedation Dentistry

Many people have fears about visiting a sedation dentist. They wonder about the safety of using sedatives. The truth is that sedation dentistry is a safe, although not flawless method of helping people who have anxiety when visiting the dentist.

According to the American Dental Association (ADA), “the administration of sedation and general anesthesia has been an integral part of dental practice since the 1840s.” Just think how much the world has developed since the 1840s and dentists were using sedatives way back then.

Some people argue that sedatives are unnecessary when visiting the dentist. However, most people are a little confused about what sedatives actually are. You can follow this link for more information on the different types of dental sedatives.

Safety Concerns

Depending on the type of sedative you are taking, there are different safety concerns. This article will cover safety concerns for the increasing popular oral conscious sedation alternative. With oral conscious sedation, the patient is given a pill that will cause the patient to think he/she is asleep although they will be in a conscious state. The problem is that each individual has the potential to react differently to the pills. Some people may start feeling the effects within minutes; while with others it may take hours.

The ADA has issued some concerns about sedation dentists giving too many pills to patients who are taking longer to feel the effects of the sedatives. However, many doctors claim that they have given multiple pills to their patients without any unwanted effects.

You will definitely want to consult with a sedation dentist that has been trained extensively in the sedation alternative you wish to pursue. Oral conscious sedation is not recommended for children.

Most sedation dentists will monitor your heart rate and oxygen levels while you are under sedation.

Here are some tips that I’ve summarized from the recently released consumer guide during Sedation Dentistry Safety Week for a safe and enjoyable sedation experience:

(1)    Select a sedation dentist that has received training from a highly respected university and has been sedation certified by a highly respected organization.
(2)    Make sure to share all relevant medical information with your sedation dental team. This will allow them to give you a more customized treatment.
(3)    Follow the instructions given to you buy your dental team as closely as possible. Instructions may include what and when you should eat and drink as well as when you should take any pills.
(4)    Have a dependable friend drive you to and from your visit. Have them be with you throughout the day.
(5)    Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
By following these tips and any other advice your sedation dentist gives you, it is likely that you will have a safe and enjoyable experience.

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Sedation Alternatives

Some confusion exists as to what exactly a sedation dentist does. Most people think that this type of dentistry involves taking some sort of medication that will make you fall asleep while you are at the dentist. In fact, there are multiple types of sedation and the majority of them don’t involve the patient being asleep.

Oral Conscious Sedation – This method of sedation is exactly what it sounds like. The patient takes a pill before the dental treatment and the patient becomes sleepy, but does not actually fall asleep. During the dental treatment the patient is practically unaware of what is going on. This effect can last for hours.

Local Anesthesia – This is the most frequent type of treatment that a sedation dentist will use. Chances are you have had this type of treatment. It includes the dentist using some sort of swab to numb a small area. In the small area a needle will then be injected to numb a larger area. The larger area is hopefully the place where the dentist will be working. Be careful not to bite your cheek after your dental trip.

Intramuscular Sedation – With this form of treatment, the sedation dentist injects the sedative drug into the upper arm or thigh. This may be a good alternative for those who don’t like a needle being stuck in their mouth.

Nitrous Oxide “Laughing Gas” – This is probably the most infamous of the sedation techniques used in dentistry. Nitrous oxide is inhaled and then it has an exhilarating effect on the patient. One of the main benefits of using laughing gas is that it takes effect almost immediately (sometimes within 30 seconds). Another benefit of laughing gas is that after the treatment, the patient is usually able to leave by themselves with minimal side effects.

General Anesthesia – This is probably what most people think about when they think about sedation dentistry. With general anesthesia the patient is fully asleep during the treatment. One of the downsides of general anesthesia is that the patient will most likely be unable to leave the dental office for 2-4 hours.

Intravenous Sedation – Perhaps one of the more interesting methods of sedation; intravenous sedation leaves the patient thinking that they are asleep. The patient is, however, in a conscious state.  The major upside of this being that the patient can respond to the dentist if necessary. The patient does not recall any of what actually happened during the dental treatment.

Hopefully this list of sedation techniques will help you to find a good solution when you are searching for a positive dental experience. This information in no way precludes talking to an actual sedation dentist. This list will hopefully guide your questions and help you enjoy visiting the dentist more often.

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The Cost of Sedation Dentistry

Once you have decided that you would prefer to visit a dentist that uses some form of sedation, then you will likely want to know more about the costs involved. Costs will vary due to regional factors as well as the experience/education of your sedation dentist. Below are some averages of what you might expect to pay depending on the type of treatment received.

Light Sedation: $200-$300 Light sedation is the most common form of dental sedation and it usually includes either oral sedatives or nitrous oxide gas. It is important to keep in mind that the aforementioned price does not include the actual dental work; it only includes the sedation price.

General Anesthesia or I.V. Sedation: Anesthesiologists usually charge from $100-$300 an hour. The amount of time they bill you will vary by anesthesiologist and thus we recommend contacting your local sedation dentist to find out more about how much you might be paying under this method. Most people don’t use this type of treatment unless they are undergoing a serious dental surgery.

Financing Options

Going to a sedation dentist can be expensive. It is extremely important to note that many insurance coverage plans do not cover being sedated while at the dentist. Contact your insurance agent to see if your plan covers sedation dentistry.

Most sedation dental offices will accept the traditional method of payment: credit card, cash, and checks. Increasingly these dental offices are also accepting financing plans from recognized companies such as CareCredit and Capital One.

A tip on Saving Money

Try visiting a dental school: If you visit a dental school for your dental appointment, the cost will be reduced dramatically. The price is 20%-60% of what you would have to pay at a normal, private dentist. The downside of this is that you will be treated by dental students—this may not help your dental anxiety. However, the students are closely monitored by their instructors.

Advantages
•    Inexpensive
•    Students are friendly and dental work is usually good to excellent
•    You can receive free consultations

Disadvantages
•    Time – The students try to be extra careful and you may be treated by several different dental students. In addition to this, the supervisor will check the dental students’ at certain stages throughout the dental appointment
•    Long lines – Because the service is inexpensive, compared to the alternative, there are often long lines to visit the student dentists.
Sedation dentistry can be expensive, as always if you are looking for prices, contact your local sedation dentist.

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How to Cure your Dental Phobia

Many people don’t enjoy visiting the dentist. This is understandable as visiting the dentist can leave a person in a moderate to extreme amount of pain. Another reason most people don’t enjoy visiting the dentist is the awkward position you have to keep your mouth in while the dentist and dental assistants are going to work on your teeth. Can this dislike for dentists be overcome?

To answer this question, we must first understand what a dental phobia is. “Phobia” can be defined as “an anxiety disorder characterized by extreme and irrational fear of simple things or social situations.” A dental situation could be considered a “simple thing” or even a “social situation.” I can’t think of a more awkward social situation than having someone hold your mouth open why they scrape away at your gums and teeth.

To get technical, there is a difference between dental phobia, anxiety, and fear. Dental anxiety is a reaction to unknown danger. For example, on your first trip to the dentist, you had anxiety; you weren’t sure what was going to happen. Dental fear is a reaction to known danger. Anxiety is a very strong, almost unreasonable reaction to a known danger.

Overcoming your Dental Phobia with a Sedation Dentist

If you have some form of dental phobia, then you may consider visiting a sedation dentist. This type of dentist will allow you some form of medicine to help you overcome your fear. This is a much better alternative than avoiding the dentist altogether. In fact, some studies show that 5% of people in western countries avoid visiting the dentist due to some form of fear.

Sedation Dentists can give you medicine that will calm your anxiety. For those people who have a phobia, this may be the best solution. If you are geniuinely anxious in the days and nights leading up to the dental appointment then your dentist may offer you Benzodiazepines, better known as “Benzos.”

Although you may not have heard of Benzos before, you have probably heard of Ativan, Xanax, or Halcion. These drugs are all part of the Benzo family. These drugs cling to your brain’s receptors and tone down the activity in the fear department. This can make it easier for you to sleep, the night(s) before your dental visit, as well as making you have a much more enjoyable visit on the day of the appointment.

For more information on quelling your dental phobia we recommend speaking with a certified sedation dentist.

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Q & A about Sedation Dentistry

What is a Sedation Dentist?

Basically, a sedation dentist is any dentist who will use sedatives (medical drugs) to assuage the pain of his or her patients. Sedation does not necessarily mean that the patient will be asleep, although the patient may not remember much of what happened while he/she is sedated. Sedatives make it so the patient can enjoy a pain free dental experience.

Why do people go to Sedation Dentists?

People go to Sedation Dentists for many reasons. Throughout the history of dentistry, people have not enjoyed visiting the dentist. Chances are you have joked around about this with a friend. Sedation dentists are targeting people who are highly anxious when visiting the dentist.

A lot of people have had bad experiences in the past when visiting the dentist. Maybe you have heard some of the horror stories: teeth being smashed, jaws being broken, and gums bleeding for weeks. While some of these stories are exaggerated, the fact remains that people have had bad experiences with dentists in the past. Going to a sedation dentist gives them the option of not having to be in pain while their teeth are being worked on.

Different Options for being Calm at the Dentist.

Sedation Dentists don’t necessarily “put you to sleep” if you will. There are a couple of different types of sedation that you may experience while at the dentist.

(1)    Anti-Anxiety Drugs – This type of sedation will quail anxiety, but it will not put the patient in a “sleeping status.” Sometimes these drugs are taken a few hours before visiting the dentist so that the patient can come in relaxed. This makes for a better experience for all parties involved, both the dentist and the patient.
(2)    Sedative Hypnotics – This type of sedation will cause drowsiness. Sometimes patients are only put into a drowsy stage while visiting the dentist, instead of completely asleep. In higher doses sedative hypnotics will induce a state that resembles physiological sleep.

Going to the dentist can be a nerve-wracking experience. I don’t know many people who enjoy having their mouth forced open for long periods of time while another human being pokes sharp objects into their mouth. Fortunately, modern day medicine allows for people who are nervous about visiting the dentist to have a more enjoyable experience.  Next time you have to make that long journey to the dental office, consider visiting a sedation dentist.

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