Oral Sedation

 

 

What is It?

Oral sedation is the use of sleeping/sedative type medications taken by mouth (as opposed to IV sedation) to relax you during your dental treatment. 

Do I have to use it for root canal treatment?

  • No.  Although it is used for  surgical procedures in our office, it is not required for root canal treatment.  However, a little more than half of our patients elect to use oral sedation for their root canal treatment as well.

Who should consider using it?

    Anyone who:

  • is fearful of the dentist
  • is anxious or has difficulty relaxing during dental treatment
  • has had past bad experiences with dentistry
  • has a strong gag reflex
  • has had difficulty numbing in the past
  • is claustrophobic with a dental dam or dental treatment in general
  • has difficulty swallowing during treatment
  • would have a difficult time lying still for a long appointment
  • has a small mouth
  • is having a molar treated
  • has a "hot" tooth (not good looking but painful!)

Would I be unconscious?

  • No. Unlike general anestheisa or IV sedation, there is no loss of consciousness with oral sedation. While most people fall asleep during treatment you may be easily roused by calling your name or tapping your shoulder.

Is it safe?

  • Yes.  As well as additional training and an Oral Conscious Sedation Permit issued by the State Board of California, Dr. Carman has safely sedated over 3,000 patients over the past two decades. 

 Is there an additional fee for sedation?

  • No

 What are the disadvantages of treatment with sedation?

  • you need a driver to bring you and take you home
  • most people sleep the rest of the afternoon--you cannot drive or return to work the day of your appointment

 What are the advantages of oral sedation?

  • appointment seems shorter
  • relaxed patient--usually sleeping
  • higher pain threshold (easier to numb)
  • gag reflex reduced
  • reduces (usually eliminates) the discomfort many people have with a "dental dam"
  • difficulty swallowing eliminated (along with less saliva production)
  • amnesia (the following day the procedure seems a blur)
  • allows for more focused treatment

Oral Sedation and Root Canal Treatment

We devoted a large section of our web site to this topic due to the high anxiety/fear factor associated with root canal treatment .  Root canal treatment has long been a dreaded procedure and humorously--and not so humorously--used as the standard by which to compare unpleasant tasks. 

While modern techniques have conquered pain during root canal treatment, it persists in being an unpleasant  procedure for many due to the discomfort of a rubber dam, a bite block holding your mouth open, difficulty swallowing, a feeling of claustrophobia, and laying still with your mouth wide open for an extended period of time.  These become non issues with oral sedation. What  used to be a prolonged period of discomfort, becomes a relaxed appointment of listening to music on headphones while drifting off to sleep. There is simply no reason for modern root canal treatment to be the misery it once was for many.