Do you suffer from crippling dental fear? Dentist Offers Sedation Dentistry Options with great benefit!

Are you struck with anxiety or fear when you think about seeing your dentist for a routine examination? Have you ever endured, a toothache for far too long due to a fear of the dentist? Hear this. You are not alone. Countless individuals in the Augusta Georgia area avoid dental treatment of all kinds because they are so phobic about going in. If this describes you, you should be happy to know that sedation dentistry offered by Dr. Emmanuel Ngoh and the team at Augusta Endodontic Center can help relieve any anxiety or fear you have of the dentist. There are many benefits to sedation and sedation dentistry can be made available to you.

Sedation Dentistry – What Is It?

Sedation dentistry involves the utilization of medicine to ease the patient into a sense of relaxation or unconsciousness. Though it is sometimes called sleep dentistry, patients usually remain conscious unless general anesthesia is used. Let us look at the degrees of sedation offered by many dentists:

Minor sedation leaves the patient awake but completely relaxed.

Moderate sedation (sometimes called conscious sedation) will leave the patient loopy but conscious. The patient may slur their words when speaking and have a foggy memory of the procedure.

Deep sedation involves bringing the patient to a state of near unconsciousness, but they can still be awake.

General anesthesia renders the patient completely unconscious.

What are The Different Ways Sedation Can Be Administered?

When minimal sedation is needed, nitrous oxide can be administered. Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, is combined with oxygen and administered via a mask put over the patient’s nose to breathe in the mixture. It will deliver a relaxed sensation to the patient and will wear off quickly. This is the only form of sedation where the patient can drive themselves home after the procedure is completed.

If you need somewhere between minimal and moderate sedation, this can be administered orally. Oral sedation’s strength lies in dosage. If you need minimal sedation, you will likely be given a pill to take about an hour before the procedure. It will make you drowsy, but you will remain awake.

 Larger doses can be provided if the patient requires stronger sedation. At this level, the patient will become increasingly groggy and possibly even fall asleep during the procedure. It is not a deep sleep, and the patient can be awakened easily.

Less commonly available are IV sedation and general anesthesia. IV sedation will provide a moderate level of sedation. It is administered via an IV into the patient’s vein. This form of sedation works very quickly and allows the dentist to adjust the levels of sedation that is administered. With general anesthesia, the patient is put into a deep sleep from which they are not easily awaked until the effects of the anesthesia fully wear off.

Not all dentists will offer all forms of sedation, so it is important that you speak with your dentist about what they offer and which option will work best for you.

Who Makes a Good Candidate?

Sedation is best for those patients who suffer from genuine dental fear and/or anxiety which keeps them from visiting their dentist for regular checkups or when there is a real problem that needs to be addressed. Sedation is not just for those who suffer from fear. Here are some examples of types of patients who may benefit from sedation:

• Patients with a low pain threshold

• Patients who have a hard time staying still while in the dentist’s chair

• Patients who suffer from hypersensitive teeth

• Patients who have a terrible gag reflex

• Patients who need to have a substantial amount of dental work done within the same appointment

If you are looking for a dentist who offers sedation options, contact Dr. Manny Ngoh and the team at the Augusta Endodontic Center in Augusta, GA. To schedule an appointment, call (706) 800-9118.

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