Sedation Dentistry

San Bruno Sedation Dentistry - San Bruno, CA

Sedation Dentistry, sometimes called Relaxation Dentistry, refers to the way dentist's  manage Pain and Anxiety during dental appointments.

Unlike General Anesthesia where a patient is completely unconscious, asleep, and unable to respond,  patients under Conscious Sedation, are able to respond to commands and breath on their own. 

There are actually 14 different ways that sedation drugs can be administered. There are 2 primary ways that Sedation is administered in the Dental Office:
 

 1. Enteral Conscious Sedation "Orally Administered Sedation", sometimes called  "Sedation Dentistry" is administered by taking a pill. All body functions remain normal and the person is able to breathe on their own. The patient will often fall asleep. Some degree of amnesia is common. The disadvantage with this method of sedation, is that the level of sedation for each person is not predictable. 

2. Inhalation Conscious Sedation, Nitrous Oxide/Oxygen Sedation also known as "laughing gas". This is the most frequently used sedation method used  in dentistry. All bodily functions remain normal and the person is able to breathe on their own. The patient will often fall asleep and experience some degree of amnesia about what happened during their dental appointment. Inhalation Sedation has been used my dentists for many years.
 

Sedation Dentistry

 This Oral Medication used for Oral Conscious Sedation in dentistry are from a group of drugs known as Benzodiazapines. Not only do these medications have a sedative effect they also have some degree of  amnesic effect for most people. Patients remember little or nothing about their dental appointment.

Advantages to Dental Oral Sedation:

• Easy to administer: Swallow a small pill 
• It is safe and easy to monitor
• Works well for most people
• Low Cost

• The level of Sedation is not easily changed
• Someone must drive you to and from your dental appointment  

• The most common medication is Halcion (triazolam). Halcion provides a deep level of relaxation and amnesia effect. 
• For children the most common medication is Versed (Medazolan) which is a liquid. 

Sedation Dentistry

Inhalation Conscious Sedation

Nitrous Oxide and Oxygen ("laughing gas") has been used as the most frequent and primary means of Sedation used in Dentistry for many years. 35% of all US dentists offer Nitrous Oxide Sedation to their patients. 

Advantages or Dental Inhalation Sedation:

• Works well for mild to moderate anxiety
• Rapid Onset
• Flexible duration can be used for any appointment length
• Absolute Control. It is easy to quickly control the level of sedation which may be altered moment to moment. 
• People recover quickly
• Very few side effects
• There is an analgesic effect
• You can drive yourself to and from your dental appointment
• You can return to normal activities immediately

• Severe anxiety may require a deeper level of sedation
• Not indicated for people who have respiratory problems (Asthma and Emphysema)
• Claustrophobic patients do not like anything covering their nose

• Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
• Oxygen (O2)