If you dislike the sights, sounds, and sensations of undergoing dental treatment, you are far from alone. Countless millions of people struggle with a degree of dental anxiety! The good news is that oral conscious sedation dentistry may be able to help. Are you a good candidate for this provision? This blog post may give you an idea of whether it is right for you.
What Is Oral Conscious Sedation?
With oral conscious sedation, all you have to do is swallow a sedative pill shortly before your treatment begins. The medication induces feelings of relaxation and helps to dull your body’s response to pain. It might make you sleepy, but it should not cause unconsciousness. Unlike other forms of sedation, it does not involve the use of any needles or masks.
Oral conscious sedation can last for several hours, so you should set aside at least a full day to rest after your procedure. During that time, you should not drive or do anything else that comes with a high risk of injury to yourself or others.
Signs You May Be a Good Candidate
Oral conscious sedation might be suitable for you if:
- You struggle with mild to moderate feelings of dental anxiety/fear.
- You are not easily numbed by local anesthetics.
- You have a very sensitive gag reflex.
- You have a medical condition that makes it difficult for you to sit still while undergoing dental treatment.
- You need to undergo multiple or complex treatments.
- You experienced dental-related trauma in your past.
- Milder forms of sedation, such as nitrous oxide, have proven to be inadequate or unsuitable for you.
Who Is Not a Good Candidate?
Oral conscious sedation is safe for most patients, but there are some people for whom it is not recommended. Your dental team will ask for a thorough medical history. Certain allergies and conditions may make sedation inadvisable for you. For example, it is not usually good for pregnant women to be sedated.
If oral conscious sedation is not right for you, your dentist will explore other methods of helping you to stay comfortable and relaxed throughout your treatment. They want you to have a positive experience!
Oral conscious sedation could change the way you think about dental treatment! Talk to your care team to find out if it might be able to help you breeze through your next procedure.
Meet the Practice
At Family Dental Practice of Newington, our team wants to provide a comfortable and positive experience for each patient. We are proud to offer nitrous oxide sedation and oral conscious sedation for individuals who need extra help to stay relaxed during treatments. To learn more about these techniques or to request a consultation, contact our office at 860-856-6201.