When dentists talk about sedation dentistry, it’s ordinarily in the context of patients with severe dental anxiety who have trouble making it to the dentist’s office on a regular basis. For sure, sedation can put even the most anxious patient at ease, turning difficult procedures into a joy to experience.
However, that isn’t the only use of sedation dentistry—even people who aren’t particularly afraid of the dentist can benefit from it. Here are a few examples of how.
Makes Multiple Procedures Easier
Getting multiple treatments one after another can be a struggle for any patient, and dentists know that. That’s why people who need a lot of work done will usually have to come in for multiple appointments several weeks apart.
However, sedation can make getting several procedures done much more pleasant, which can greatly simplify things. If you could benefit from a great deal of dental work, you should talk to your dentist about whether sedation could help make that easier.
Makes Treatment Faster
If you’ve never experienced dental sedation before, it may come as a surprise to you that sedatives are designed to keep you awake. The point of them is to calm the patient down, not to knock them out. This is so that the patient can easily respond to the dentist’s instructions to move the tongue or keep the mouth open.
As a matter of fact, sedation can make the patient a little less fidgety, which makes following instructions easier. This often has the effect of making the procedure faster.
Can Relax the Gag Reflex
Some people aren’t necessarily afraid of the dentist but have a strong gag reflex that makes any kind of treatment difficult. This is an automatic reaction that can be difficult to suppress, even with conscious effort.
However, sedation can help these kinds of patients to relax, which can potentially make gagging less of a problem. This can put great oral healthcare in the hands of people who may not be able to ordinarily get it.
As you can see, there are a lot of ways that sedation dentistry can be used, and not all of them are for treating anxiety. It may even be the perfect option for you!
About Our Practice
At 333 Dental Care, we believe that dentistry is an opportunity to take care of yourself, and that it should be something that patients look forward to. That’s why our incredible dentists and everyone on our dental team does what they can to ensure that patients love the experience of being in our office. Even if you don’t ordinarily love the dentist, we’d love to show you what oral healthcare can be!
If you have any questions about sedation dentistry, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (580) 782-2552.