Conscious Sedation – Comfort And Peace-Of-Mind Dentistry For Nervous Patients
For those who suffer from an innate fear of even going to the dentist for a check-up, it’s completely understandable why a person in this situation wouldn’t even contemplate undergoing treatment for a dental implant in Richmond.
The truth is that dental anxiety or dental phobia is a big problem with as many as one in three of us suffering some degree of trepidation. In a worst case scenario a sufferer would rather face excruciating tooth pain, rather than walk through the doors of a dental clinic.
Fortunately dentists are becoming far more aware of the problem and here at Sheen Dental for example, we’ll do everything we can to make sure the patient, is relaxed, calm, and comfortable before beginning any form of treatment.
So why conscious sedation?
Dentists know that a relaxed patient suffers far less trauma than a patient who appears to be tense and nervous and this is where conscious sedation techniques come in. As the name suggests conscious sedation provides a way of making the patient feel completely relaxed (in a care-free kind of way) while at the same time giving them the opportunity to be fully awake and in control so that they’re able to easily respond to the needs of the dentist.
So how is it administered?
In essence it’s administered in a number of ways most of which provide a light sedative where the effects last a relatively short amount of time. For this reason recovery is usually quick, without that groggy feeling that some anaesthetics bring.
Inhalation
Using a small nose clip harmless nitrous oxide is inhaled. More commonly known as laughing gas it’s ideal because as soon as the substance is no longer breathed in, recovery is pretty instant. In fact it’s not uncommon for patients to drive home after treatment. It’s harmless, painless, and can easily be controlled.
Oral sedation
This comes in the form of a pill which is taken around 1 hour before any type of procedure. Again, its pain free administration has the same effects as other types of conscious sedation but recovery time is limited to when the effects of the pill eventually leave the body.
Intravenous sedation
IV sedation is delivered directly into the blood steam by means of a small catheter inserted into the back of the hand. Again administration of the sedative can be carefully controlled, however it does involve a tiny initial injection. When the patient has finished their respective treatment the patient returns to normal pretty quickly. However there may be traces of anaesthetic left in the body for an hour or two after the process so the patient needs to be accompanied by a friend or family member to drive them home.
Just because you’re a nervous or anxious patient, why should you be prevented from having some of the most technically advanced treatment that modern dentistry allows such as dental implants in Richmond? Come and talk to us today about how we can help you overcome your dental demons. To make a free, no-obligation consultation you can book online at www.sheendentalimplants.co.uk or alternatively contact us directly on 020 8876 5277.