Most usual dental problems can actually easily be solved by regular dental cleaning and checkups. However, mental anxiety and fear of pain prevent most people from even talking to a dentist. It’s one of the main reasons why people avoid the dentist altogether and end up with worse dental problems.
If you’re one of those people, you should know that there are actually methods that will help take the pain away during a dental procedure. The most common one is general anesthesia.
However, there is a lot of risk involved with this procedure since you will be fully unconscious. And if that doesn’t appeal to you, you might still not want to go to the dentist.
But don’t lose hope: another method to help you avoid pain is IV sedation, which was made popular by sedation dentists. And in this method, you don’t have to be unconscious at all!
While these two have things in common, there are actually some very important differences. In this article, we’ll talk about what makes IV sedation different from general anesthesia.
What is IV sedation?
IV sedation or intravenous sedation is when a sedative is injected through a vein, allowing the sedative to work very quickly. It helps patients stay relaxed throughout the entire dental process and not them feel any pain whatsoever.
Generally speaking, IV sedation is right in the middle of the consciousness spectrum. You’re numbed enough to not remember the procedure. But at the same time, you’re not completely unaware of what’s happening.
The dosage can also be easily monitored and adjusted depending on the requirements of your treatment. The dosage can range from minimal or mild, moderate. And while it affects your consciousness to varying degrees, you won’t be exposed to risks common to general anesthesia.
Minimal sedation will put you into a relaxed but “awake” state and able to respond to instructions. If you go for moderate sedation, there will be drowsiness, but still, you maintain a certain level of consciousness. You may still be able to respond to stimulation like opening your eyes when asked to despite having a dulled sense of your surroundings.
If you opt for deep sedation, you will go into a light sleep. You most likely won’t have any recollection of what happened during the procedure once it’s done.
Overall, IV sedation is a more safe, effective, controllable, and predictable form of escape from pain. It is usually recommended by dentists during treatments that take longer time like wisdom tooth extraction or placement of implants.
What are the benefits of IV sedation?
Here are some specific benefits of IV sedation:
IV sedation provides higher level of sedation than the inhaled or orally intaked ones.
It takes effect almost immediately since it is directly injected into the patient’s bloodstream. Treatment time is also reduced because of this.
Patients will not completely lose consciousness while under the effects of IV sedation. It’s great alternative to general anesthesia for patients who wish to avoid its complications.
Patients can recover faster from IV sedation. You’ll generally have a shorter recovery time than from general anesthesia or oral sedation.
It’s good for people with anxiety. If you’re one of those people who are dealing with severe anxiety, IV sedation is better for you since it delivers a more potent calming sensation.
IV sedation reduces the possibility of a gag reflex. Gag reflex is the contraction of the throat that happens when something touches the roof of your mouth, tongue, throat, or tonsils. For patients who are prone to this condition, the IV sedation can help suppress it, allowing a more comfortable experience.
No endotracheal tube — the tube inserted into your trachea to maintain an open airway — is required, unlike if you’re going to undergo general anesthesia.
If you’re already interested and you’re from Burke, a dental center that’s known for its expertise in sedation dentistry is already here – Shield Dental Care!
But wait, what’s the difference of this with general anesthesia?
How is general anesthesia different from IV sedation?
General anesthesia is the deepest and strongest type of sedation. It typically involves a combination of intravenous or “injected through veins” medicine and inhaled gas. This puts you into complete lack of unwareness of your surroundings and insensitivity to stimulation.
Because of this, you will be unable to respond to most things. This sedation method is mostly used for longer, more invasive and complex treatments, and is usually advised to be used only in the hospital. This is because it may require tools that will provide assistance to your breathing.
As opposed to IV sedation, general anesthesia depresses both the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, making it unsuitable for many patients. If you have certain pre-existing conditions, such as the following, you may be at increased risk for complications from general anesthesia:
Seizures
Stroke
Obesity
High blood pressure
Diabetes
History of heavy alcohol use
When is general anesthesia needed?
Here’s some good news: general anesthesia is very seldom used in dental procedures since IV sedation is very effective. It is only recommended for the most complex types of dental and oral surgeries. However, it can still be used if the patient has specific conditions
Here are some of the instances when general anesthesia can be used instead of intravenous sedation:
There are some patients who may have developed a strong tolerance for medications used in IV sedation. If this is the case, general anesthesia is the only method to go for.
When undergoing dental procedures, some patients require a higher level of sedation and prefer to remain completely unaware.
Patients with extreme anxiety, behavioral changes, or disabilities often choose general anesthesia.
For children under the age of 12, they would need moderate to deep sedation before any procedure is done, as they might be too active for IV sedation to suffice. However, it is best to let an anesthesiologist administer general anesthesia to them.
Looking for a sedation dentist in Burke? Introducing Shield Dental Care, the best dental center in Burke, VA!
We hope this article made the difference of the two methods clearer – and also made you less afraid to go to the dentist especially with severe pain
And if that’s the case, and you’re now looking for the best Burke dentist who can do IV sedation, there’s no need to Google “sedation dentist near me”.
Here at Shield Dental, the best Burke dental clinic headed by Dr. Ghorbani, our dentists will make sure you’re provided with the best dental care!
Shield Dental is Burke’s best dental center that combines expertise with the latest and safest technology available.
And more importantly, we offer multiple types of sedation techniques, whatever your needs may be. Our team has a board certified anesthesiologist to make sure that the sedatives are only administered by a pair of professional hands. After all, our goal is to provide our patients with outstanding dental services so that every dental visit is a comfortable experience.
If you have any questions or if you need help in scheduling an appointment, please feel free to contact us at 703-250-5072 or [email protected].
We look forward to serving your dental needs soon!