What is Sedation Dentistry and How Does it Work?

There are millions of Americans who are terrified of going to a dentist, and for that reason, they suffer unnecessarily with dental problems that could have been prevented altogether with preventative dental care. If you are one of those people who is horrified by the thought of drills, dental work and the whole experience of sitting in that chair to have your teeth worked on, you are not alone. Thankfully, however, there have been a number of advances in the world of dentistry in recent years; these advances help make dental work less painful, and they have changed the way many people feel about going to a dentist.

If you have not been to a dentist in years, or even decades, you will be absolutely amazed at how much less stressful and painful it is to have dental work done these days. Long gone are the days of sitting in a dentist’s chair for hours while he or she pulled teeth, performed root canals or filled cavities. Now, many dental procedures are completely pain and free and can be done in less than an hour; even better, many of today’s dental procedures don’t even require the use of the dreaded “dentist drill,” the sound of which can cause people to panic and become filled with fear.

What is Sedation Dentistry?

Sedation dentistry has changed the way people feel about going to the dentist. Sedation dentistry, also referred to as “sleep dentistry,” uses medication to help patients relax during dental procedures—making the procedures more tolerable for the patient and easier for the dentist to perform. While sedation dentistry if often referred to as “sleep dentistry,” that term is not really accurate because patients are not really asleep during the procedures. Except for those who are under general anesthesia, patients are aware for procedures when they visit a sedation dentist. If you are looking for a cosmetic dentist in Denver, be sure you choose one that uses sedation dentistry to make the procedures less painful and stressful for you.

In sedation dentistry, different types and levels of sedation are used depending on the patient’s ability to withstand dental work and what procedures are necessary. Dr. Jeff Johnston, cosmetic dentist in Denver, will discuss your sedation options with you and let you know which one will be best for your needs.

If you ever have any questions about sedation dentistry and how it works, or if you’d like to go ahead and schedule an appointment to have some much-needed dental work performed, please contact Ascent Dental Group today.