10 Mar 2021

Sedation dentistry is a tool that helps our patients feel comfortable with more advanced dental procedures. Some procedures, like wisdom tooth removal or dental implants, require patients to be under anesthesia for the duration of the procedure. Different levels of sedation can be used for different types of procedures. Our West Palm Beach emergency dentist can help you understand all of your sedation options regarding your next dental procedure.

There are a few different levels of sedation that apply to different types of procedures:

-minimal sedation – awake but relaxed, nitrous oxide otherwise called laughing gas.
-oral sedation – conscious sedation that involves taking an oral sedative before the procedure.
-IV sedation – can be used to put you in a “twilight” state that still involves you being awake but in a foggy daze. IV can also be used to completely put you to sleep for the duration of the procedure.

Depending on the needs of your surgery, a more advanced sedation method may be recommended by our West Palm Beach emergency dentist. For patients who are anxious about basic dental procedures, nitrous oxide or an oral sedative may be more appropriate. IV sedation is typically used for oral surgeries.

To find out if you require sedation for your appointment, talk to our West Palm Beach emergency dentist about your concerns. Sedation can be used to ease anxiety but also to minimize any pain associated with surgery. Patients with smaller mouths or sensitive nerves may require sedation to complete complicated procedures.

Procedures that generally require sedation include:

-wisdom tooth removal – wisdom teeth can erupt and push other healthy teeth out of place, and removal can be quite complex. It can be invasive to remove teeth from the jaw, so patients are always given some level of sedation to make the experience easier.

-dental implants – Inserting dental implants into the jaw is a complex process that requires multiple procedures. Sedation helps to shorten the length of time required for treatment and it makes it easier on the patient.

-jaw surgery – jaw surgery is a serious oral procedure that requires a patient to be under sedation to make the experience an easier process. This surgery can take a long time, so patients need to be under IV sedation for completion.

-bone grafting – patients that do not have enough healthy bone tissue to support a dental implant or dentures may require bone grafting procedures. This procedure can be painful, so sedation is used to make the experience easier and more comfortable.

-emergency procedures – emergency dental procedures can range in severity, so sedation may be used to help with treatment. It can also be beneficial for the dentist so that they can get a complete picture of the surgical site.

To learn more about sedation dentistry, call our West Palm Beach emergency dentist. We can talk you through all of your options so that you fully understand your procedure. You can reach our office at (561) 626-3474 or by filling out a contact form on our site.