Sedation Dentistry in Santa Clarita

Making a visit to the dentist for a regular check-up or for simple procedures like getting the teeth cleaned can be very disturbing for some people. Many people tend to neglect their teeth and their oral health for fear of going to the dentist. They associate everything at the dental clinic to be extremely painful. Many such people end up enduring the agonizing pain of a toothache every now and then instead of getting their teeth checked for a permanent solution by the dentist. This phobia of going to the dentist is experienced by a large population of people which is sad since the modern inventions in the dental field have come up with sedation dentistry which can be used to ease anxiety, pain, and restlessness. The sedation dentistry Santa Clarita can be used when performing complex treatment procedures or even when performing simple ones like cleaning of teeth. The extent of fear or anxiety in an individual and the level of pain are the main things that determine how the sedation will be done.

What Is Sedation Dentistry?

Sedation dentistry is the use of medication with the aim of calming down the patient so that it is easy to conduct the dental treatment procedure required. Sedation dentistry Santa Clarita is at times identified as sleep dentistry though this description is not totally accurate. This is because the patient will be awake unless they are also under the influence of anaesthesia.

The different levels of sedation used

The first level is the minimal sedation whereby the patient is relaxed, but they are not asleep. The second is the moderate sedation or the conscious sedation in which case the patient will barely remember undergoing the procedure, but they might slur words when talking. The third type of sedation is the deep sedation during which the patient is barely conscious, but if need be they can be woken up. The fourth type of sedation is the general anaesthesia during which the patient is totally unconscious and cannot be woken up till the anaesthesia wears off.Dr. Hedvat is proficient in administering the different levels of sedation using different sedation methods.

What Types of Sedation Are Used in Dentistry?

Inhaled minimal sedation

In this type of sedation, the patient inhales nitrous oxide which is also referred to as the “laughing gas” which is used together with oxygen and passed to the nose through a mask. The gas is mainly used to help the patient relax. The amount of sedation given to the patient is controlled by the dentist since the effects of the gas are not effective for long durations of time. The patient can safely drive themselves home after undergoing this type of sedation.

Oral sedation

The oral sedation varies depending on the dose administered by the dentist; it can be moderate or minimal sedation. In most instances, minimal sedation is achieved by orally taking a pill which is usually Halcion. This drug should be taken about sixty minutes prior to the procedure since it lies in the same drug family as valium and takes time before it can kick in. After taking the pill, drowsiness will be experienced by the patient will still be conscious. The dosage can be increased to make it moderate sedation. Moderate sedation might result in some patients becoming very groggy to the extent of sleeping through a gentle shake will awaken them.