Ready for a relaxing trip to the dentist? That’s right, we said “relaxing” and “trip to the dentist” in the same sentence! It can certainly be true if you’re using sedation dentistry.

Just about everyone is afraid of going to the dentist, at least for the first time. If you go early enough in life, the most that will happen is a little checkup and a cleaning.

But if you’re dreading a trip, especially one that involves scaling, a filling, or a root canal, sedation dentistry in Houston can be a dream come true.

What is Sedation Dentistry?

At its core, sedation dentistry in Houston is a method to help calm patients and reduce the sensation of pain and discomfort.

Some procedures have no pain at all, but sedation dentistry can also keeps a patient calm and still, including patients who are very young.

There are four levels of sedation:

• Minimal
  You are fully conscious, but feeling relaxed. Usually accomplished with an oral sedative.
• Moderate
  You are fully awake, but perhaps not fully cognizant. Patients may slur their speech a bit and not remember much of the procedure afterward. Typically accomplished with a stronger oral sedative or an inhaled gas like nitrous oxide.
• Deep
  You’ll feel asleep, but that likely isn’t quite the case. It never takes more than a gentle nudge to awaken you, however. This level is achieved with a higher nitrous oxide dose or through an IV.
• General Anesthesia
  This it the strongest level of sedation, reserved for the most invasive procedures. It’s not very common to need this level of sedation, but it will put you to sleep. Most of the time, a combination of nitrous oxide and IV sedatives achieve this. The gas brings you close to sleep and the IV keeps you under.

How Safe is Sedation Dentistry in Houston?

Sedation dentistry is very safe. The dentist or an anesthetist monitors the levels of sedation and the dosages throughout the procedure. In the case of using nitrous oxide or IV sedatives, the level of dosage is continually adjusted on the fly by the dentist or anesthetist.

This ensures you are only getting the minimum dose necessary for you. There’s no reason to put you under if it’s not warranted.

The most common side effect of sedation dentistry is tiredness and grogginess even after the sedation ceases. These effects can linger for up to a few hours, therefore, we strongly recommend you do not operate a vehicle or heavy machinery after your visit. It’s best to have someone take you to and from the dentist office in Houston.