Sometimes, the mere thought of getting dental work done can be a frightening, nerve-wracking experience, particularly if you’ve had a bad experience in the past. You know that something needs to be done about that nagging problem in your mouth, but your nerves get the best of you and you put off making the call for yet another day. How can you approach the topic of dentistry when your nerves are fighting you every step of the way?
Now there is a solution to the problem. It’s called IV Sedation and it offers a pain-free alternative to traditional dentistry. During IV Sedation, your dentist will administer medications through the veins that will help you feel more relaxed and less anxious about your treatment. In most cases, you will not be fully sedated and will be able to respond to visual cues from your dentist.
If you have a fear of needles, then talk to your dentist because they can help with that as well. An oral sedative or a topical anesthetic can be given to you prior to the IV medication in order to make you more comfortable and help ease your fears.
There are many reasons why you should give IV Sedation dentistry a try. Since it is designed to help you relax, IV Sedation can ease any feelings of anxiety or dental phobias that you may be experiencing. It can also help to eliminate some of pain sensations. You’ll be so relaxed, that you may not even notice any pain or discomfort associated with your treatment.
Many people have a hypersensitive gag reflex that can be bothersome when there is dental work to be done. IV Sedation can help with this as well. Sights, sounds, and even smells may not even bother you during your treatment, and you’ll likely remember very little, if anything of your appointment by the next day.
It’s also possible that the sensation of pain that is usually felt the next day will be lessened as a result of IV Sedation. This is because you are less tense during treatment. When you are more relaxed the dentist has an easier time performing the procedure and is able to use less force, and that can result in less pain as you begin healing.
The time that it takes to recovery from sedation is generally very short. However, it does vary to some extent from one person to the next. Most IV Sedation patients begin to feel more alert shortly after the IV medication has stopped. Despite the short recovery time, and for your own safety and the safety of others, we recommend that you avoid driving and operating heavy equipment over the next 24 hours following the end of your dental appointment.
Side effects to the IV Sedation medication are usually minimal, if at all. However, should you experience any nausea after your treatment, then talk to your dentist about your concerns. Your dentist will be able to prescribe something to help with the nausea until the symptoms have worn off.
One of the concerns with IV Sedation dentistry is whether or not it will be covered by your dental insurance. For this, you will need to check with your insurance provider. Each dental insurance plan differs. However most plans usually cover part, and sometimes all of sedation dentistry. Your insurance provider, however, can confirm the coverage of your specific plan prior to your appointment.