Sedation Dentistry

What Is Sedation Dentistry?

Dental visit anxiety can make routine treatments complex. By combining a numbing agent or local anesthetic with some form of sedative, our dentists (Dr. Torti and Dr. Edwards) can ensure a better dental treatment experience for you in Franklin, TN. Sedatives can be used during cleaning—as well as for more invasive dental procedures.

We tailor our approach to each patient and their level of anxiety. A thorough evaluation of the medical history of a patient is a crucial first step in the process. It helps us decide which degree of sedation is the ideal fit for your dental care.

What Are the Different Levels of Sedation?

Mild Sedation

Nitrous oxide is the sweet substance better known as laughing gas. Inhalation of laughing gas and oxygen helps patients relax. It tones down anxiety and lowers stress levels.

Under mild sedation, you remain conscious. You’ll be able to respond if asked a question, and you’ll feel normal (albeit more relaxed than usual) after your procedure.

Moderate Sedation

Oral sedation can be mild to moderate and involves swallowing a liquid or pill. At a low dose, you remain awake during oral conscious sedation. However, you may ultimately forget what happens in the treatment room. A high dosage could mean you fall off to sleep.

IV sedation is another moderate-to-deep sedation option.

General Anesthesia

‘Sleep dentistry’ involves the use of general anesthesia: You’ll drift off into a deep sleep for the duration of your procedure. However, sleep dentistry is not like taking a nap. Under deep sedation/general anesthesia, you will not see, hear or remember any of your dental procedure. We utilize a dentist anesthesiologist to monitor you throughout the procedure and recovery.

The Benefits of Sedation Dentistry

Sedation dentistry prevents further harm by enabling many patients to get essential dental work done. These treatments include—but are not limited to—extractions, fillings, root canals, and help with abscesses.

You’re likely to benefit from sedation dentistry if you’re a patient who:

• Has a low pain threshold;
• Gets restless easily;
• Has a sensitive gag reflex or sensitive teeth;
• Has special needs or coexisting medical conditions;
• Requires a long or complicated dental procedure.

How Long Does Sedation Dentistry Take?

Moderate sedation will make you feel drowsy and provide pain relief for hours—and take-home pain killers can keep you from feeling post-op soreness.

In terms of how long sedatives take to work in the first place, the mode of sedation has an impact here.

• Approximately five minutes after inhalation of laughing gas, you should feel more relaxed and less fearful.
• Oral sedation can take up to an hour to kick in, so you may have to take pills before you lay down in the dentist’s chair.
• IV sedation enters your bloodstream quickly and goes to work within minutes. After removing the IV sedation, it takes around 20 minutes before you’ll feel more aware of your surroundings.

Is Sedation Dentistry Safe?

Sedation dentistry services are tried and tested, but they’re not without risk. We bring in a licensed dentist anesthesiologist from Nashville Office-Based Anesthesia (NOBA) who has one job, and that’s to keep you comfortable and secure.

At our dental practice, the dentist focuses on giving you optimal oral health outcomes. And the anesthesiologist will monitor your vitals. NOBA practitioners such as Dr. Yezerski are board-certified and have years of CODA-approved training, so you can rest assured that you’re in good hands.

Before your sedative dental work takes place, you will probably be asked to fast for at least a few hours prior. Fasting prevents nausea and chances of regurgitating food in your system, which can affect your breathing.

Our dentist anesthesiologists are trained to safely provide sedation and anesthesia for both adult and pediatric patients.

Is Sedation Dentistry Expensive?

The cost depends on various factors, such as:

• How long you need to be sedated;
• The kind of dental work you need to have done;
• The type of sedation (for example, oral conscious sedation vs. deep sedation);

We can help you check what your insurance plan covers. Payment plans are possible too. When utilizing sedation and anesthesia for dental care, your safety is our number one priority. Although there is added expense with a separate anesthesia provider, the increased level of attention and safety can be worth the added cost.