Conscious Sedation and What it Feels Like
Conscious sedation or sleep dentistry as it is commonly known as is a procedure where your dentist uses a sedative or a combination of sedatives that will allow the patient to feel calm and relaxed for the duration of the dental visit. Dentists and the dental teams in Belleville utilize gas, oral, or IV sedatives in order to relieve anxiety and pain sensitivity. The goal of these procedures is to provide a more successful and relaxed dental appointment for anxious patients.
The 3 Different Types of Conscious Sedation
1) Minimal (Anxiolysis) Sedation: You’re conscious and able to respond to your dentist, but allows you to feel very calm during your dental appointment.
2) Moderate Sedation: You are able to respond to the dental team but feel sleepy and may fade in and out of consciousness.
3) Deep Sedation: You’re asleep or mostly asleep. With some effort, the dental team will be able to wake you.
The Effects of Conscious Sedation
Some of the most common effects reported by patients who undergo dental sedation are feeling calm, relaxed, and somewhat groggy. The feeling of stress and anxiety related to their dental procedure tends to fade away during the time that they are receiving treatment or examination. The extent to which one's feelings are impacted by sedation varies greatly depending on the type, quantity, and method of sedation that is used.
The type of sedation used will determine the overall experience for the patients. Here’s an overview of each to help you get an idea of what to expect from each form of dental sedation:
Nitrous Oxide Sedation
One of the benefits of this type of sedation is that it can be scented to make the experience more pleasant. You’ll feel relaxed, light, and maybe a bit tingly in your arms and legs. Some patients also experience a “euphoric feeling” and get giggly. It slows your reaction time and reduces your pain sensitivity as well.
Oral Sedation Dentistry
You can expect a deeper sense of relaxation and relief from oral sedation. You’ll most likely feel drowsy and may have difficulty speaking. Sedation dulls reflexes and coordination as well. Some patients experience feeling heavy. And a fuzzy memory or memory loss from the procedure is common. Patients also report that time passes faster under oral sedation.
IV Sedation
IV sedation provides a deeper sense of sedation than oral or gas sedation. Patients can experience a very deep state of relaxation as well as difficulty staying awake. You’re still conscious (unlike general anesthesia). In short, the safe feelings found in oral sedation are common in IV sedation, but more amplified.