Oral sedation during dental procedures is a method to keep patients calm during treatment. It is helpful for patients who are scared of dentists and anything related to dental clinics. Sedation removes fear and anxiety from the patient’s brain and makes them feel at ease. Oral sedation is given to patients in the form of a pill an hour before their scheduled procedure.
Oral sedation has various advantages, especially for people with dental phobia. However, before you go through the procedure, it is important to know the downsides of oral sedation as well to make an informed decision. Thankfully, the cons of oral sedation are not serious, but they exist. Visit Union City, Georgia family dental care for a free consultation session today.
Advantages of oral sedation
- Convenient to use.
Oral sedation does not require you to insert a sharp needle into your skin. All you need to do is take a pill an hour before your treatment, and you will slowly start feeling more relaxed and calm. If you were nervous about the procedure, you will find yourself being less scared.
- Amnesia.
Benzodiazepine dosages help patients have little to no memory about the procedure. This is a great option for people with dental fear, as they won’t feel scared if they do not remember any details of the treatment. When sedated, they will have no recollection.
- Minimal side effects.
One of the best things about oral sedation is that there are barely any side effects. All qualified dentists only use sedatives approved by The American Dental Association, which means they are safe to use. Only a few people experience side effects, but they are generally minimal.
Disadvantages of oral sedation
- No immediate action.
Oral sedatives do not act immediately, unlike nitrous oxide and IV sedation. Like all pills, oral sedatives take at least half an hour to two hours to work. This is why your dentist recommends to take it a couple of hours prior to the procedure.
- Patients cannot drive to the appointment.
If you have nobody to drive you to the appointment, it is better you wait to take the sedative until you reach the clinic. Sedatives relax your nerves but also make you dizzy. This can impair your judgment and vision.
- Inflexible sedation level.
Since it takes some time for the sedatives to kick in, it is not easy to control the sedation level. Everyone’s body metabolizes sedatives differently, making obtaining a high sedation level challenging. However, this is not a frequent issue.
To know more about oral sedation, consult a dentist.