Sedation Dentistry: Know What It Is All About

Sedation dentistry is the practice of providing a relaxing and anxiety-free experience for people receiving various types of treatments

. It allows individuals whom are usually too afraid to undergo dental work to avoid the stress and apprehension known as dental phobia.

A recent study conducted by the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation suggests that over 30 percent of the American population avoid scheduling appointments due to fear. This phobia prevents people from receiving necessary dental care which would potentially compromise their overall health.

It is a procedure used to establish a calm and relaxed state of mind through the use of sedatives, and can be administered in a variety of ways:

1. IV sedation (though rarely used today) is a means, which when administered by a trained professional, is both safe and effective

2. Oral sedation, now the most commonly used method, involves no needles. Instead, dentists administer medication to calm the patient, mimicking a sleep-like state.

3. Laughing gas

Although some forms of it may raise the threshold for pain, most treatments still require that a local anesthetic be injected in the mouth, even when these dentistry techniques are used.

One of the many benefits of this technique is that many patients often feel as though their procedure only lasts a few minutes, when in fact it may have taken hours to perform. This means that more complex job which would have taken multiple visits to complete may require fewer appointments.

Because this form of dentistry addresses many of the fears people face concerning their dental visits, patients are now more likely to receive the care they need. As a result, patients are less likely to allow problems to go untreated.

Though this form of practice has occasionally been dubbed "sleep dentistry", the fact is that patients who undergo sedated procedures do not actually sleep. This technique enables individuals to be kept awake throughout the entire appointment; the benefit being that you will feel relaxed and likely won't remember much about the treatment.

Unfortunately, insurance companies do not pay for it; however, some non-intravenous sedation procedure codes might just apply to your particular treatment. To avoid any confusion, call your insurance agent prior to your appointment and ask for their policies and procedures pertaining to it.

If you're like many people, the dentist's chair can be a scary place. If this type of dentistry sounds like a fit for you, do a little research in regard to practitioners in your area, and schedule a consultation.

by: Andrew Stratton

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