Sedation
At Beaverton Periodontics, Dr. Tran, Dr. Nguyen, and staff strive to make your experience relaxing and enjoyable. It is common to feel mild anxiety while having a dental procedure. However, patients with moderate to severe dental anxiety or dental phobia often benefit from sedation. Although sedation is not required for periodontal procedures, sedation allows the dentist to manage patient pain and anxiety while at the same time allowing the patient to more comfortably undergo periodontal procedures. If you want to learn more about sedation, please inquire at your next appointment.
At our office, patients can choose from the following options when undergoing dental treatment:
No Sedation: some patients choose to maintain full awareness during the procedure. This is accomplished with the use of local anesthetic and patients can drive themselves to and from the appointment if they wish.
Oral Conscious Sedation: a drug-induced state of reduced awareness and decreased ability to respond. To make the dental experience more relaxing, medications are taken orally prior to the appointment. If you choose conscious sedation, you will still be able to respond during the procedure but you will likely be sleepy and somewhat forgetful. Patients are restricted to limited activities, must be escorted by a responsible adult, and may not drive for the rest of the day.
IV Sedation: sedation provided by an intravenous drip in the arm with one or more sedative drugs. This is the most controlled technique as it can quickly and easily be adjusted to the patient’s body type, tolerance levels and depth of sedation desired. This technique produces the deepest sedation and relaxation. Patients are less responsive and have little, if any, memory of the experience. Although the procedure and drugs are very safe, the patient’s blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen level and breathing are monitored as part of our safe standard of care. Patients are restricted to limited activities, need to have a responsible adult monitor them at home, and may not drive for 24 hours following surgery.
Patients that opt for sedation are required to arrive with a trusted companion who can drive the patient home after the procedure. At the completion of the dental procedure, the patient will be allowed to recover partially from the effects of the sedation before being allowed to go home with the companion. The patient should not drive or operate machinery for 24 hours after the procedure if they have been sedated.
Sedation dentistry is ideal for people who have:
A high level of fear or anxiety
Suffered past traumatic dental experiences
Difficulty in getting numb
An overactive gag reflex
Very sensitive teeth
Complex dental problems
A fear of needles and shots
A strong dislike of the noises, smells and taste associated with dental care
TMJ related difficulties where it is uncomfortable to open their mouth for extended periods
During your initial evaluation, feel free to discuss the different options of sedation. Dr. Tran and Dr. Nguyen have completed advanced training in sedation so you can feel confident in the overall care you will receive. We can help you determine which option is best for your unique situation.