Do you fear the dentist? If so, you may want to look into sedation dentistry. Read on and see how your trusted dentist in Columbia, IL can help.

Did you know that around 36% of people in the United States suffer from dental anxiety?

Dental anxiety in some people may be better described as a dental "fear" and can be even more serious than ordinary anxiety. Whatever the case, fear of the dentist is more common than you might think and can come in a variety of forms, all of which can be detrimental to one's dental health.

Fortunately, sedation dentistry can be a great solution for dental anxiety. By making a patient feel more at home and relaxed when at the dentist's, especially during a dental procedure, dental anxiety doesn't have to be such a big problem.

But there is often not just one type of sedation dentistry from your local dentist in Columbia, IL, so how can you know which type might be best for you? Read on to find your answers.

The Types of Sedation Dentistry You Should Know About

The most common form of sedation dentistry across all dental offices, including your local dentist, Columbia, IL, is laughing gas. Laughing gas is also known as nitrous oxide. Your dentist can offer laughing gas via a mask that is temporarily placed over your nose and mouth.

All you need to do to feel the effects of laughing gas is to inhale and exhale a few times. As you start to feel the effects of laughing gas, you may notice that you will be much more relaxed. Besides this relaxation, you may also feel that time has slowed down and that your perception of pain is greatly diminished.

These are all normal results of laughing gas. As soon as your dentist removes the mask, you will start to come back to your senses within a few minutes. To help the effects of the laughing gas wear off, your dentist will likely have you inhale pure oxygen, which will speed along the process.

Another type of common dental sedation is oral sedation. Oral sedation may be required if you undergo a more serious dental procedure related to your oral health such as the drilling of cavities. In contrast, nitrous oxide is better for minor procedures such as dental cleanings or whitening procedures.

Oral sedation usually involves swallowing a pill or two. The result is that you will be very relaxed for the procedure and you shouldn't feel any pain while the dentist works on you. However, keep in mind that you will need to take your medication an hour before the procedure.

Most oral medications take between 30 minutes and an hour to kick in. The downside of oral sedation is that it doesn't wear off quickly after the procedure.

General Sedation Dentistry

The previous two types of sedation dentistry are the most common types. This is because they are able to cover most forms of dental procedures. However, there are some cases where more serious dental procedures are necessary, such as oral surgery.

In this case, you will need something much more potent than laughing gas or oral sedation. That's where general sedation comes in.

General sedation is essentially anesthesia.

General sedation is the heaviest form of dental sedation you can experience. When your dentist or the anesthesiologist administers the anesthesia, you will be unconscious for the entire procedure. In a sense, you will be asleep and you won't be able to feel a thing.

This is unlike oral sedation in which you are conscious of the procedure but very sleepy. The downside of general sedation is that, since it is such a heavy form of sedation, you won't recover from it very quickly. Instead, after your procedure, you will likely need some time to get your bearings at first.

You also won't be able to drive yourself home after general dental sedation. Instead, you will need to bring someone along to drive you home.

Once you are home, the general sedation will continue to wear off for the next few hours. In some cases, you might even need to wait a day or two before you completely have the anesthesia out of your system.

What Kind of Sedation Is Best for Your Dental Anxiety?

The kind of dental sedation that you need will depend on your dental anxiety as well as the type of dental procedure you need doing. If you have mild dental anxiety, laughing gas is often your best bet. The laughing gas will wear off quickly and you will be able to drive yourself home from the dentist without any issues.

Laughing gas will also do well to calm you down so you won't be nervous about the procedure. If you are very nervous or have a dental phobia, you may need oral sedation instead. Oral sedation is ideal if you can't stand the idea of going to the dentist but you know you need to go for the sake of your dental health.

Oral sedation can make you feel very relaxed and even sleepy. It will also take away much of the pain of the procedure. On the other hand, most people don't require general sedation unless they need serious oral surgery.

This is because general sedation is often overkill for dental anxiety and dental phobia. More than that, it can take a long time to get it out of your system. Your best bet is sticking with oral sedation or laughing gas.

Sedation Dentistry From Your Dentist in Columbia, IL

Sedation dentistry is important for those who suffer from all forms of dental anxiety and dental phobias. If you find yourself wary of going to the dentist, toss your worries aside! Sedation dentistry will make any dental procedure much more pleasant and relaxing for you.

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