We all know that visiting the dentist and getting proper dental care are necessary to maintain our health. However, it is not uncommon for many people to feel anxiety about specific dental procedures or, for some people, about visiting the dentist in general. While these feelings may be perfectly natural and nothing to be ashamed of, it can be a problem when they prevent one from getting the care that they need. If these issues sound familiar to you, it could be helpful to consider visiting a sedation dentist in Los Angeles.Sedation dentistry is the use of pharmacological agents to help a patient relax while the dentist is providing some form of treatment. This is beneficial for the patient because it can put them at ease for procedures that they might otherwise avoid if they had to experience it while fully conscious and aware. Different types of drugs can be used to create the state of sedation and there are also different levels of sedation that can be applied depending on the individual patient and the given circumstances.
Minimal Sedation
As the name suggests, this is the lowest level of sedation that a dentist will apply. With this level, the patient is awake and aware, but certain agents will be used to increase their state of relaxation. One of the most common forms of minimal sedation is the use of nitrous oxide gas. The gas is an especially advantageous form of sedation because the dentist can easily control the sedation level and the effects of the gas wear off quickly and this allows the patient the ability to drive home shortly after the procedure is completed.
Moderate Sedation
This is next level up on the sedation dentistry scale. With moderate sedation, the patient remains conscious, but their level of awareness is noticeably altered. It is very likely that the patient will not remember parts of the procedure and the drugs will probably cause the patient to feel drowsy. The patient will also need assistance getting home because the effects of the drugs are likely to affect them for the better part of the day. Moderate sedation may be administered through an IV or through the use of a pill like the drug Halcion.
Deep Sedation
This is the highest level of sedation that a dentist will offer and it will either, put the patient right to the edge of unconsciousness or it will render them completely unconscious. With deep sedation, even if the patient is not completely unconscious, they are very unlikely to remember anything during the time that they were sedated. Since this is the deepest level of sedation, it is usually reserved for procedures that are either particularly invasive or time consuming.
With sedation dentistry, people no longer have to worry about the anxiety and discomfort that may accompany the prospect of undergoing a dental procedure. When you visit Crystal Dental Centers, you work with experienced sedation dentists that offer a wide range of treatment options that will suit every single need. For more information or to find a location near you please visit Crystaldentalcenters.com or contact us at (213) 748.8448.
