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· Inhalation – a mask is placed over your face while the dentist works, and you breathe in the gas, usually nitrous oxide (laughing gas), which relaxes you. A local anesthetic is also used.
· Intravenously – this is done after you arrive at the dentist’s office. It’s less frequently done, but is completely safe and in fact the drug is more effective when given this way, as opposed to orally
· With this option, you’ll also be monitored for blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing. This keeps you safe. A local anesthetic will be used to block pain.
· Intra-muscular – the medication is injected into muscle of the upper arm or thigh. This is less commonly used for adults, but is frequent in pediatric dentistry. Again, a local anesthetic is also used.
o You’ll feel drowsy and calm.
Whichever way the sedating medication is administered, the dentist’s chair will feel comfortable and you’ll feel calm and safe in the reclining position. You’ll be so relaxed that your cosmetic dentist can perform several dental procedures in one visit, thus reducing the number of visits required to complete all the work.
Sleep Dentistry
This is a term for dentistry done while you’re under general anesthesia. It’s not often done, as the sedation options take care of most people’s anxiety. When it’s done, a trained and certified professional will monitor you while the dentist works on your teeth. To do this type of dentistry, the dentist must have completed at least 2 years of specialized training and be certified by a dental board
Four Levels of Sedation
The above methods of eliminating anxiety provide a choice of 4 levels of unconsciousness:
· Anxiolysis – this is the lightest sedation. Nitrous Oxide is the most popular way of inducing this state. · Conscious sedation – this is a moderate level, created either by Nitrous Oxide or IV sedation, where you’re awake and able to respond to requests from the dentist or his nurse.
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