Westerville Dentist - Copeland Mill Dental - Sedation Dentistry

 Conscious Sedation is defined as a minimally depressed level of consciousness that retains the patient's ability to independently and continuously maintain an airway and respond appropriately to physical stimulation and verbal command.  It is produced by pharmacological, nonpharmacologic method or combination thereof.

Sedation Dentistry, sometimes called Relaxation Dentistry, refers to the way dentist's  manage Pain and Anxiety during dental appointments.

Unlike General Anesthesia where a patient is completely unconscious, asleep, and unable to respond,  patients under Conscious Sedation, are able to respond to commands and breath on their own. 

 IV Sedation also known as Deep Conscious Sedation is usually used by Oral Surgeons and dentists with specialized training and special certification. With this type of sedation, medications are administered directly into the blood stream. The greatest advantage of IV Sedation is that if someone is not sedated enough, the doctor can administer more medication and the effects are instantaneous. IV Sedation is not used commonly in most dental offices because of the specialized advanced training required and the requirements for certification by the State Board of Dentistry. The drugs used for IV Sedation are more effective then the same drugs taken orally. There is a more profound amnesia associated with this technique.

Inhalation Conscious Sedation, Nitrous Oxide/Oxygen Sedation  is also known as "laughing gas". This is the most frequently used sedation method used  in dentistry. All bodily functions remain normal and the person is able to breathe on their own. The patient will often fall asleep and experience some degree of amnesia about what happened during their dental appointment. Inhalation Sedation has been used my dentists for many years.
 

Sedation Dentistry

Inhalation Conscious Sedation

Nitrous Oxide and Oxygen ("laughing gas") has been the most frequent and primary means of Sedation used in Dentistry for many years. 35% of all US dentists offer Nitrous Oxide Sedation to their patients. 

Advantages or Dental Inhalation Sedation:

  • Works well for mild to moderate anxiety
  • Rapid Onset
  • Flexible duration can be used for any appointment length
  • Absolute Control. It is easy to quickly control the level of sedation which may be altered moment to moment. 
  • People recover quickly
  • Very few side effects
  • There is an analgesic effect
  • You can drive yourself to and from your dental appointment
  • You can return to normal activities immediately

Disadvantages of Dental Inhalation Sedation:   
         Severe anxiety may require a deeper level of sedation
         Not indicated for people who have respiratory problems (Asthma and Emphysema)
         Claustrophobic patients do not like anything covering their nose

What medications are used for Dental Inhalation Sedation?
           Nitrous Oxide (N2O) 
          Oxygen (O2) 
The safety features of the machine insure a patient receives no less than 30% Oxygen mixed with Nitrous Oxide. Usually the patient receives 50 to 70% Oxygen.