• Posted on: Jan 15 2018

Sedation dentistry is not new. Millions of people around the world have been helped by dentists who have received training in this service. We are pleased to be a professional and friendly office in Grand Rapids in which patients can take advantage of sedation dentistry. Here, we want to discuss a few details about oral conscious sedation, the service that we perform.

Sedation dentistry is often referred to as relaxation dentistry or even sleep dentistry. The term oral conscious sedation indicates that the patients we treat do not sleep through their treatment. There is value in staying alert during dental procedures, actually, and patients are very well able to tolerate their visits with the appropriate oral sedative to relax them.

What a sedative is and does . . .

A sedative is anything that relaxes the mind and body. In dentistry, we rely on prescription medications to achieve this goal, and we tailor the prescription to the patient based on factors such as weight and medical history. When a person takes an oral sedative, the medication works on their central nervous system, slowing it down enough to significantly blunt response to external stimuli. What may seem frightening normally isn’t under the effects of a sedative.

An aspect of slowing the activity in the central nervous system is affecting the brain’s natural pain response. This is a nice side effect of oral conscious sedation, which the local anesthetic that we administer will be maximized – patients feel no pain. This is why sedation dentistry is also often called painless dentistry!

What to Expect from Sedation Dentistry

When a sedative is administered for dental care, the effects of that medication usually begin to occur within a few minutes. It isn’t that patients become extraordinarily sleepy. Initially, what is usually noticed is a pleasant sense of calm. Once in the dental chair, the mind and body increasingly relax, and some patients do close their eyes and rest.

Oral sedatives can take several hours to be fully metabolized in the body. Therefore, patients who choose sedation dentistry will need to be brought to the office and taken home by a friend or family member. At home, it is best to rest and relax for the remainder of the day.

Does this sound pretty stress-free? That’s the whole point! We want to help you feel good about seeing the dentist. Learn more about sedation dentistry. Call our Grand Rapids office at 616-458-0631.

Posted in: Sedation Dentistry