Who’s a candidate for sedation dentistry?
If you are fearful of having dental work done, or have an unusually low tolerance for pain, and that is preventing you from getting the dental care that you need, then you may be a candidate for sedation dentistry. Foregoing dental care can not only lead to the need for expensive treatments later on, it can also affect your overall health. Bad dental health is linked to a higher risk of heart and kidney disease, strokes, and other disorders.
Dental phobia aside, you may also be a candidate for sedation dentistry if you need to have extensive dental work done, or if you find that your neck or back hurts when you are in the dentist chair. In fact, any procedure that makes you uncomfortable, even if it is something as simple as a teeth whitening treatment, can be made easier with the use of sedation.
While virtually any patient can be a candidate for sedation dentistry, you can benefit particularly if you have any of the following conditions:
- Dental fear
- Resistance to local anesthetic
- Sore jaw
- Neck or back pain
- Unusually sensitive gag reflex
- Previous bad dental experiences
- Difficulty remaining in one position
There are several types of dental sedation that can be given to you. The type that is most appropriate will depend on the individual. Many patients benefit from oral sedation, which is a pill that helps you to relax. You should talk with your dentist about any medications that you are taking in order to prevent undesirable interactions. You will take the pill before your appointment, and you will have to have someone drive you to your appointment and then take you home afterward.
Other types of sedation include nitrous oxide, and intravenous sedation. Regardless of the type of sedation administered, you can be assured that you will be fully relaxed. In fact, you may not even remember the dental procedure.
The best thing about dental sedation is, quite simply, that even very apprehensive patients can still have dental treatment without fear. The only down side is that there can be minor side effects like hiccups, dry mouth and nausea, but if these do occur, they will last no more than 24 hours.
Contact Us
To book an appointment, or to learn more about whether you might be a candidate for sedation dentistry, contact us at KC Smile. Our office is located at 12850 Metcalfe Avenue, Suite 200, Overland Park, KS 66213, and you can call us at 913-491-6874. If you prefer, you can also request an appointment by using the form on our Contact Us page.
