Oral sedation in dentistry is a technique used to reduce anxiety in people who are feared of the dental treatment and the consequences and side effects of it.
Dental phobia is the fear to any dental procedure, and to the dentist which leads to anxiety when a treatment is going on. Different sedative techniques help in reducing dental fear and anxiety, thus easing the dental treatment process both for the dentist and for the patient.
The sedatives are drugs which establish a relaxed and calm state in the mental function of the person, and they are administered in various ways in the body. The most commonly used sedation techniques are intravenous and oral sedation techniques.
Although intravenous technique of sedation is a safe and effective way, the oral sedation has gained more popularity these days, one of the major reasons being avoiding usage of needles.
Oral sedation dentistry medication acts in such a way that throughout the dental treatment process, the patient is totally unaware of that being done in their mouth, and still maintains a good level of consciousness in the patient, to maintain safety and ensure that the patient doesn’t end up in a severed unconscious state.
It is still not a method used to anesthetize the tissues. People usually think that sedating them will help them relieve any pain caused during dental treatment. Oral sedation is not for that purpose; it just relaxes the mind and increases the level of confidence and co-operation with the dentist.
This method of oral sedation has various names but nearly mean the same: relaxation sedation, oral sedation, sedation dentistry, oral conscious sedation, needle-less sedation.
The concept of oral sedation in dentistry is totally different from that of anesthesia. Anesthesia technique is to block the pain signals sent through nerves in the body. Therefore if any painful treatment is being performed, anesthesia blocks the pain signals, and no pain is experienced by the patient.
Dental sedation technique does not block these nerve impulses, but will just temporarily block those actions which lead to any fear or anxiety when the person eyes the instruments, syringes etc. Sedated patients cannot be treated without giving an anesthesia. Without the administering of dental anesthesia, the pain would still persist.
Benefits of Oral Sedation in Dentistry
One of the oral sedation misconceptions that run in patient’s mind is that they feel the treatment will be completed in a few minutes, but it usually takes nearly an hour when dentistry treatments like surgical extractions, root canal treatment are being done. Patients usually don’t feel comfortable and negative when it takes long, oral sedation helps them relax for longer time and post-treatment relaxation is also ensured.
Oral sedation in dentistry helps in reducing the movement of the body, and motionless patients can be better managed and treated by dentists.
Dentistry Oral Sedation
Oral sedation in dentistry doesn’t involve only intake of tablets but there are inhalational techniques where nitrous oxide gas is inhaled as a way for sedation. It helps when there is a moderate anxiety level in patients, and the duration of sedation is flexible, and can be adjusted with accordance to the duration of treatment, the level of anxiety of the patient.
The recovery of the patient from the inhalational sedation dentistry techniques is quicker, and there are very few side effects seen, rarely. And unlike the oral routed ways, these gases are capable of mild anesthesia/analgesia effect too, and can be helpful in avoiding the usage of any analgesic drugs after the treatment. It can sometimes severe the anxiety levels and higher doses may be needed, which is not safer so the usage of Nitrous Oxide and oxygen is not always advised.
Oral Conscious Sedation
This is the way of oral sedation by administering drugs to be taken orally, and patient stays conscious, aware of treatment going on, but doesn’t panic about it. The drugs belong to a group of chemicals called Benzodiazapines, which produce a sedative as well as an amnesia effect. For some cases, patients don’t remember they actually got a dental treatment done.
These oral sedation drugs are easy to administer, can be taken in the form of pills and they work almost for all patients, but the disadvantage against the inhalational sedatives is that the level of sedation cannot be manipulated easily. These oral sedatives are commonly available with brand name Halicon, Versed, Valium and Restoril.
Who Can Advice Oral Sedatives and When?
Not every dental practitioner can administer oral sedatives, without getting proper training or gaining enough knowledge about the mechanism of action, knowing the risk of side effects, and the time of action of the sedatives. Dental anesthesiologists or sedation dentists are qualified and trained sedative and anesthesia administering persons, although if trained, the dentists and medical practitioners can advise sedation.
Oral sedation dentists are the newest and potentially the most desirable type of dentists: they work hard to offer their patients a dental visit free from fear and pain.
Oral sedatives are not always advised, but ususally when the patient has a dental phobia. It’s done when the patient is not mentally ready to take up the treatment due to fear of the post-treatment consequences.
Since the introduction of sedation dentistry it’s always been an easier way of treatment beneficial for both, the patient and the dentist.