Many people, both adults and children, experience stress or real anxiety when they visit the dentist. So much so, that they can even avoid going to their check-ups and appointments, to avoid the bad drink that happens every time they cross the door of a dental clinic.
What does sedation mean?
Under the umbrella of "conscious sedation," we refer to two different techniques: conscious inhalation sedation and conscious intravenous sedation. Both have the same objective: that patients enter a state of relaxation and well-being while their dentist performs the necessary dental treatments.
Sedation, not sleep
A patient undergoing conscious sedation treatment at no time loses consciousness or sensory perception is altered in a manner comparable to general anesthesia. Conscious sedation is only one method to achieve a general state of relaxation and tranquility, always controlled by experienced professionals.
In what treatments is sedation used?
Conscious sedation is an option available for all types of treatments, and is performed in the dental clinic itself. It is recommended whenever the patient has problems arising from his fear of the dentist. Your dentist will tell you which type of conscious sedation is most convenient in each case.
Inhalation Conscious Sedation
In conscious inhalation sedation, the patient breathes through a nasal mask a mixture of nitrous oxide-based gases, popularly referred to as "laughing gas.
When inhaling this gas, totally safe and administered by a dentist who has received official and homologated training in the matter, the patient experiences a state of great relaxation and well-being, which allows him to control his feelings of fear and anxiety; at the same time it facilitates the work of the professionals of the clinic.
Conscious inhalation sedation is a procedure with quick, effective and totally safe effects. In a few minutes, the patient recovers his normal state.
Conscious intravenous sedation
Conscious intravenous sedation uses intravenous sedative drugs to control anxiety. It is used mostly in longer and more complex treatments such as surgery.
Conscious intravenous sedation uses medications that are assimilated very quickly by the body. This allows the dose to be controlled at all times and the patient to quickly return to a normal state when his or her dentist has finished his or her work.
In order to practice this type of conscious sedation, it is necessary for the process to be directed by an anaesthetist, who will be in charge of regulating the dose according to your needs, as well as monitoring the patient's heartbeat at all times.
