What is sedation dentistry?
Sedation dentistry also referred to as "sleep dentistry" helps relax patients by medications during dental procedures. Patients are usually awake except for those who are under general anesthesia.
What are the various levels of sedation?
- Minimal Sedation — The patient is awake but relaxed
- Moderate Sedation (formerly called “conscious sedation”) — The patient may speak softly and not remember much of the dental procedure.
- Deep Sedation — The patient is on the edge of consciousness but still awakened
- General Anesthesia — The patient is completely unconscious
What types of sedation are used in Bonita Family Dental?
The following types of sedation are used in dentistry:
- Inhaled minimal sedation: The patients breathe nitrous oxide also known as “laughing gas”. Nitrous Oxide helps relax the patient and is combined with oxygen through a mask placed over your nose. Dentists at Bonita Family Dental can control the number of sedation patients receive. Patients after receiving this sedation can drive themselves home after the procedure.
- IV moderate sedation: A sedative drug is received through a vein and this method allows the dentist to adjust the level of sedation.
- Deep sedation: Deep sedation will make the patients either half-unconscious or unconscious.
- General anesthesia: Under general anesthesia, patients cannot be woken easily up until the anesthesia wears off or is reversed with medication.
- Oral sedation: Oral sedation can range from minimal to moderate. For minimal sedation, patients should take the Halcion pill (member of the same drug family as Valium). The pill is usually taken about an hour before the dental procedure. The pill can make the patients drowsy.