Sedation dentistry refers to the use of medication to help a patient relax during a dental procedure. This is especially helpful for patients who experience dental anxiety. Listed below are a few benefits of sedation dentistry.

Anxiety Relief

When people are scared of the dentist or anxious about an upcoming procedure, sedation dentistry can help put them at ease and ease their anxiety. It can also help them avoid pain and gag reflexes that might otherwise make a trip to the dentist miserable. A patient who is sedated can sleep throughout a procedure and not feel anything. This can be far more pleasant than having someone poke around in your mouth. Reducing your anxiety level allows you to relax more during the appointment, and the work may go faster as a result.

Anterograde Amnesia

With sedation dentistry, patients will be so relaxed that they will have no memory of the treatment process. This is one of the major benefits of sedation dentistry. If a patient is nervous about a procedure or suffers from dental anxiety, then sedation may be the treatment for them. Patients can rest easy knowing that once they have left the office, they will not remember any part of their appointment.

Anterograde amnesia is the loss or lack of ability to form new memories during the period of time that the patient has been sedated. They will not remember anything while under the effects of the sedative and after they have woken up from their sleep. Typically, if the patient remembers their procedure at all, it will be a vague memory of being in the dentist’s chair with feelings of euphoria and comfort.

Reduction in Gag Reflex

When you’re in the dentist’s chair, it’s natural to gag a bit when they start working in your mouth. But for some people, it can be a little more than that. It becomes so strong that they can’t get through their appointment without gagging badly. Worse yet, the reflex can prevent them from getting through an entire cleaning or procedure. But now, with sedation dentistry, the dentist is able to control the reflex until the patient is completely numb. That gives the patient comfort throughout the appointment and allows the dentist to do the best job possible. A reduction in gag reflex can be a benefit that makes patients feel relieved and at ease during their appointments.

Pain Relief

When patients receive sedation dentistry from your dentist, they experience less pain during their visit. This is because the patient is more relaxed, and the dentist can work more quickly and efficiently. There is also less discomfort during the procedure since the patient is not completely aware of what is taking place, so he or she is not anticipating the pain. Pain relief is the benefit of sedation dentistry that makes it ideal for procedures like fillings, root canals, tooth extractions, and more. These procedures are painful for patients, and having sedation available for dentists to use can totally eliminate that pain for the patient.

The Dentist Can Work Faster

One benefit of sedation dentistry is the ability for your dental office to work faster in general. Here are the ways that sedation dentistry can make your dentist more efficient so they can get you in and out quickly and on with life! Dentists also work more efficiently when patients are sedated because they don’t have to worry about constantly calming down fearful or anxious patients. They will be able to focus on the task at hand instead of working on a patient’s relaxation.

Call Alta View Dental in Sandy, UT, 84094, at (801) 572-4261 to know more about our dental treatments. Our team will work with you and create a customized plan to meet your individual needs.