Sedation Dentistry

Sedation Procedures at Christiana Dental Center

Most forms of dental conscious sedation are considered “light” or “moderate”. But conscious sedation is also referred to as sleep dentistry despite most patients remaining awake during their procedures. There are different types of sedation dentistry available for treating different levels of dental anxiety. Each of these options puts you in varied states of relaxation:

Light Sedation – You are minimally sedated. You will be able to relax while remaining awake and alert.
Moderate Sedation – You remain conscious during the procedure, but afterward you likely won’t remember much about it. You’ll be able to communicate, and you may slur your words and feel groggy. Some patients fall asleep with moderate sedation, but wake up easily.

How Conscious Sedation Works

There are several options for how our Dentists will administer conscious sedation:

Inhalation Sedation — Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, is a light form of dental sedation. Your dentist will administer the nitrous oxide through a mask that’s placed over your nose. As the gas is inhaled through the nose, you perceive less pain and experience a feeling of euphoria. Once the procedure is over, the nitrous oxide wears off almost immediately with virtually no effects or recovery time.

Oral Sedation — Depending on the strength of the prescription, the oral medication produces a light to moderate level of sedation. Oral sedation usually comes in the form of a pill and is taken an hour before the procedure. Although you’ll be able to respond to your dentist, you may feel sleepy. With this option, recovery time will be longer, and you won’t be able to drive from your appointment.

Contact us today to ask us questions about this service.