Okay, so your first reaction to this question is probably disbelief. Who could possibly sleep through a dental procedure? Between the drills and the scraping and the digging you don't believe it is possible for anyone to sleep through a dental procedure. But that is where you would be very wrong because the days of painful dentistry are over. And one of the features of painless dentistry is sedation dentistry. That's right, your dentist can sedate you so you can sleep through your dental procedure.

What Does Sedation Dentistry Involve?

Sedation dentistry involves your dentist giving you a mild sedative that can put you in varying degrees of sedation, depending on just how you close to asleep you want to be. There are several ways to administer the sedative, but be aware that once you decide to be sedated, your dentist will require that someone pick you up from the dentist’s office at the conclusion of the procedure.

Sedation can take several forms. It can be minimal sedation, moderate sedation, deep sedation or general anesthesia. With minimal sedation, you are awake and you can participate in the procedure. You will simply be extremely relaxed. With moderate sedation, you will be awake but drowsy. You may slur your words and you may not have a clear memory of the procedure. If you opt for deep sedation, you can be awakened, but you are at the edge of consciousness. When you are put under general anesthesia, you are completely out, just as you would be during a medical procedure.

Minimal and moderate sedation are accomplished by taking a pill, a mild sedative. The larger doses produce moderate sedation. You can also achieve minimal sedation by breathing nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas. This gas wears off quickly and you will be able to drive after the procedure. Moderate sedation can also be administered through an IV. If you have any questions, or if you would like to learn more, please call us today at (503) 601-0610.