What is Sedation?
Sedation is a controlled semi-sleep state obtained by intravenous drugs. In dentistry treatments, because of highly anxious patients, children and adult patients with mental disabilities, cases with a large number of decays, treatments involving long-term procedures in the dentist’s chair, and small children’s sudden movements during these treatments or fear of local anesthesia, procedures cannot be performed in the desired comfort. In this case, treatment gets very difficult for both the patient and the dentist, regardless of the child or adult. In these cases or similar cases, if the patient’s treatment cannot be provided with local anesthesia, the option of treatment with sedation may be considered.
Sedation is a deep state of sleep created with some medications when the patient is conscious used by a specialist. Despite this state of sleep, the patient can follow the commands he receives from the physician, have a dialogue with the physician and his pulse and blood pressure can be monitored during the procedure with some medications.
Thanks to sedation, the patient will not remember the procedures that occur in the oral cavity, the pain caused by them, the sound and images that may occur during the procedure, so it is psychologically more comfortable to treat and this will make it easier to stick to the advancing sessions, in the treatment process.
How is sedation applied?
First of all, the patient is expected to be hungry before treatment.
The state of sleep provided by a specialist with the drug administered by opening the intravenous pathway, ends when the drug given towards the end of the procedure is cut off and the patient get woken up. When the sedation ends, the patient wakes up in a very short time and the patient gets ready to move on with its or her life is ready to go home after approximately 30 minutes.
Which Dental Treatments Can Be Performed by Sedation?
Various dental treatments such as tooth extraction, filling treatment, canal treatment, implants can be performed with sedation. Nevertheless, the type and duration of the procedure and which form of anesthesia will be more suitable for the patient gets determined by the physical and psychological condition of the patient.
Sedation or Anesthesia?
Although there are no major risks on behalf of both the patient and the physician, dental clinics and treatments can cause tension in many patients. There are ways to facilitate treatments easier in children, elderly, people with mental disabilities, who are shying away from the dentist’s chair or just those who want to undergo painless treatment who are experiencing this classic and now chronic fear of dentists, such as sedation and general anesthesia. In cases where sedation is inadequate, the ideal solution is to apply general anesthesia (anesthetic). General anesthesia (anesthetic) is a deep state of sleep. In contrast to sedation, the patient is completely unconscious; therefore, it cannot hear what is being said, it cannot fulfill the commands given. This method can be used easily in cases where the patient must remain immobile for its own safety, or in special cases where sedation cannot be applied.
For the patient’s health and smooth treatment, the decision of which steps to follow should be taken as a mutual decision by the patient and the dentist.
Is Sedation or General Anesthesia Dangerous?
Sedation and general anesthesia are used frequently in many processes in the clinic. Sedation or general anesthesia do not pose any risk to patients if necessary precautions are taken. During sedation, many physiological indicators such as the patient’s respiration and pulse continue in their normal course.
Who Can Sedation Be Applied to?
Sedation can be applied to anyone, including children over a certain age, who wants to avoid the pain-causing processes of dental treatments. In the anesthesia operations performed before treatment, sedation can be applied in any situation that does not pose a risk to the patient by assessing the patient’s request, health conditions and the content and duration of treatment together with the approval of the dentist.
Will Treatments with Sedation End in One Session?
One of the biggest advantages of dental treatments with sedation is that the treatment of a large number of teeth can be completed at once.
What are the advantages of sedation?
• By creating a comfortable environment for the patient, the application of sedation reduces the feeling of fear and eliminates anxiety.
• It raises the pain threshold, thereby minimizes the pain felt during/after treatment.
• It provides a very comfortable working environment for the dentist with the prevention of unwanted reflexes that the patient unconsciously fulfills in case of pain or startle.
• It prevents the feeling of pain that can leave deep traces in the memory of children prone to fear and panic, and them being biased later against dental treatments.
• In cases of patients with high blood pressure and heart disease, pains developed by dental treatment process can be endured more easily by patients.