Dental Summary: Pros And Disadvantages Of Sedation Dentistry

Many people are anxious about going to the dentist. Their fear is so severe that they would rather bear the pain than opting for dental treatment. This fear and phobia of dentists are not new but today, because of improvement in technology, skill, and training, dental procedures can be performed with minimal pain.

For people who have significant anxiety when it comes to dentists and dental procedures, sedation dentistry is an ideal solution. Initially, it was believed that sedation is limited to procedures that are complicated or long but that does not hold true today. Over the years, sedation dentistry has progressed significantly and now sedation can be used for almost every dental procedure ranging from simple tooth cleaning to invasive

Statistics show that nearly 20% of patients do not opt for dental treatments out of fear. That is where sedation dentistry comes in because it can help these patients get the care they need without any anxiety or stress. However, it is important that the dental professionals who undertake sedation dentistry are well-trained and experienced. There is no doubt that because of sedation dentistry, thousands of patients have been able to get dental treatment mainly because fear or inconvenience is no longer a hurdle is acquiring dental

However, powerful sedatives such as barbiturates can be addictive. However, drugs used in sedation dentistry are not addictive nor do they have any major side effects. Caution is always advised however and an overview of patient history is imperative before any sedative drug is given to the patient. This is mainly because some patients might be allergic to the molecule. There is also the possibility of drug interaction, therefore, it is also important to be aware of any other drugs the patient has used. It is thus important for dentists to get this information and for patients to provide as much detail as possible to ensure safety. Most high-quality and well-trained dentists ensure that their patients are monitored through the procedure and when they do leave the office after the procedure, they are accompanied by someone just to avoid any