The Role of Anesthesia in Sedation Dentistry

Most dental procedures require the utilization of sedation medication or anesthesia. With the developments in dental art technology, anesthesia care is said to be 50 times safer today than it was 20 years ago, that is according to the report conducted by the Institute of Medicine. Ultimately, the goal of anesthesia is to provide a safe surgical environment for the patient to achieve a desired level of comfort during the dental procedure and to allow the oral surgeon to focus on the operation.

How does sedation differ from general anesthesia?

Generally, sedation dentistry employs medication to alleviate the levels of anxiety during a dental procedure. The patient will be put in a deep state of relaxation by administering oral or intravenous sedation. The amount of sedation medication and anesthesia is administered on graduated levels following the patient’s treatment plan.

General anesthesia uses intravenous or inhalation agents to put the patient in complete sleep. The patient is in a state of complete sleep and does not recall the details of the dental procedure as opposed to sedation wherein the patient is conscious and is able to respond to verbal commands.

On both procedures, the anesthesia specialist monitors the vital signs for any changes in the heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen levels in the blood.

Patients who experience mild levels of anxiety and fear may qualify for oral sedation. With this kind of sedation technique, the treating dentist prescribes oral pills to be taken at least an hour before the procedure. In some cases, nitrous oxide or commonly known as laughing gas is also administered. Oral sedation, however, is not recommended for very young children.

For patients who require complex dental treatment and would like to finish the procedure with fewer dental visits, intravenous conscious sedation is administered. This procedure is another alternative for patients who experience mild levels of anxiety and fear. With this technique, the patient is conscious but hardly remembers the procedure.

Patients who have special needs, dental phobics and hard to restrain patients especially very young children are the perfect candidates for general anesthesia.

In South Florida, a team of Fort Lauderdale dentists specialize in sedation dentistry and the utilization of anesthesia management technique. All dentists have completed and are in compliance with the required education, training and experience prescribed by the state and the dental industry’s regulating body.

As not all dentists are licensed to administer general anesthesia and practice sedation dentistry, it is important to check the dentist’s background and education before making a commitment.