It is hardto believe, but it is true that the dental operations are one of the mostfeared operations in the world. People are known to avoid dental appointmentsas much as they can.By the time theyfinally reach the dentist, they are already late, and the problem has becomeacute. Moreover, in many cases, the patients are so scared that they cannotcontrol their movements, which makes it increasingly difficult for the dentistto operate.
Here comesthe role of sedation dentistry. In this system of operation, trained dentistsput their patients into a relaxed state. They feel as if they are almostsleeping, and for this reason they remember very little of the operation thatthey undergo. This renders the patient in minimal or probably no pain at all,while he or she is operated on. Therefore, when there is no pain, there isvirtually no question of fear and involuntary body movements.
There are manymethods of sedation dentistry. They are oral sedatives,intravenous (IV) sedation, nitrous oxide sedation, and general anesthesia. Thepatients, who are generally capable of enduring pain, are subjected to mildsedatives like oral sedatives and nitrous oxide or laughing gas. Thesesedatives generally put the patient into a semiconscious state.
For more serious cases, intravenous (IV) injections areadministered into the patient for achieving higher degrees of sedation. In somecases, the patients are also subjected to general anesthesia where the patientis put into a state of complete unconsciousness.
