Your Local Santa Cruz Dentist Offers Sedation Dentistry

4 FAQs About Sedation Dentistry in Santa Cruz

If you get anxious when you think about going to the dentist, you’re not alone. Many people find certain procedures or just going to the dentist stressful. Luckily, sedation dentistry in Santa Cruz helps you relax during your visit. Check out these four FAQs about sedation with a Santa Cruz dentist.

What Are the Benefits of Sedation?

There are two major benefits to sedation. Firstly, sedation relieves the anxiety associated with going to the dentist. Anxiety can be so bad that it causes people to avoid going to the dentist for years. However, with sedation, once you feel the effects, your stress melts away, allowing you to undergo procedures even when you are nervous.

The other big benefit of sedation is that it has amnesiac qualities. This means that after the procedure you will likely have little to no memory of it. Plus, even during the procedure, you lose track of time, making the procedure seem quicker than it actually is.

What Types of Sedation Are Available?

There are various types of sedation available, including inhalation, oral, and IV conscious sedation. Even if you’ve never had it before, you’re probably familiar with inhalation sedation: nitrous oxide or “laughing gas”. Inhalation sedation allows you to breathe in the gas while you are in the chair. As long as you breathe the gas, you feel the effects. Once the gas is gone, the substance is quickly flushed from your system, allowing you to return to your normal activities, including driving.

Oral and IV conscious sedation are a little stronger, and you’ll need someone to drive you to and from the appointment because the effects last longer. With oral sedation, you would take a pill about an hour before the procedure. With IV conscious sedation, an IV is attached during the procedure to deliver a sedative.

Does Sedation Replace “Novocain”?

Before a dentist performs a procedure that may cause pain, an injection is given in the gums. This is called local anesthetic – many people refer to this as “Novocain,” and it’s what makes going to the dentist today less painful, if not completely pain-free. It numbs the nerves so you won’t feel anything, even during a root canal treatment that treats the pulp of the tooth.

Some people may mistakenly think they won’t have “Novocain” if they use a sedation option, but that isn’t true. You will still receive local anesthetic to get rid of any feeling. The sedation is just an added measure to ensure your comfort.

Are Patients Under Sedation Asleep?

Sedation is not designed to cause you to fall asleep. Even IV conscious sedation is not meant to cause you to become unconscious. You can still hear the dentist and respond when necessary or follow directions, such as opening your mouth wider.

It is not, however, uncommon for you to fall asleep under sedation. Sedation makes you sleepy, and because the sedation also relieves stress and tension, you are more likely to relax enough to fall asleep. Of course, many patients remain awake.

Don’t avoid going to a Santa Cruz dentist another moment. Sedation dentistry can help. For more information regarding the benefits of sedation, contact Landmark Dental Group today.