What is Oral Sedation?

Does the thought of visiting a dentist for teeth cleaning makes you feel tense with fear? Would you rather endure the pain of a toothache than step foot in our dental office? You're not alone; a lot of people are so phobic about visiting a dentist that they prefer not to have any dental treatment.

People who avoid visiting a dentist due to fear or dental phobia, Oral Sedation may take some of their anxiety. It creates a deeper level of sedation during the treatment. Our Dentist in Little Rock will prescribe a medication to take before the dental appointment to reduce the anxiety. There is a wide range of medications available in oral sedation, and our dentist will carefully discuss and determine which works best for you.

Definition of Oral Sedation

Oral Sedation is a dental procedure involving the consumption of sedative drugs via an oral route. It's generally considered to make the process of dental procedure easy and reduce patients' anxiety. This sedation is one of the available methods of sedation dentistry along with inhalation sedation, intravenous sedation, and many more.

Why Choose Oral Sedation?

It's proven that 90% of patients have some form of dental fear. This may be due to the fear of needles, had a bad experience, and have no idea of the constant change in dentistry techniques. Here are some signs you may want to consider Oral Sedation in Little Rock for your next dental treatment.

1. Terrified of visiting a dentist for dental procedures and tools used
2. If the procedure is a big one that you want to get it done at once
3. Having invasive dental surgery
4. Severe dental anxiety
5. Fear of needles, sounds, and smells of a dental environment

How Oral Sedation Works?

The steps for oral sedation may differ based on the procedure you're having. Here's what you can expect for a general procedure using an Oral Sedation. Our Little Rock Dentist will take your medical history and check your blood pressure to make sure you're a good candidate. Later, our dentist will prescribe two doses of medication. One should be taken before bed-time, the night before you come in to help you sleep. The second dose should be taken about an hour before the procedure to help you feel relaxed and comfortable during the treatment. Our dentist begins the procedure once the sedation takes place. Depending on the procedure you'll be under sedation for 15 to 30 minutes or up to several hours.

Advantages of Oral Sedation:

Fear of visiting a dentist is very common. Oral sedation helps the patient to relax during the treatment so that they don't compromise on their oral health. Here are some advantages of Oral Sedation:

1. Safe: The oral sedation is regulated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) so it's unlikely for you to experience any dangerous side effects.
2. Amnesia: The strong dosage of this sedation causes patients to have little to no memory of the dental procedure.
3. Responsive: With the help of oral sedation you may feel drowsy, but you'll still be awake and can respond to your dentist's instruction.
4. No Needles: With oral sedation, the patients can take the sedative orally before the appointment without having to worry about being pricked by a dentist.
5. Easy to Manage: Our dentist will prescribe a pill to keep you calm during the treatment. Oral sedation is the easiest, just swallow the pill an hour or so before your appointment.

Oral Sedation in Little Rock is a safe way to take the anxiety and fear out from a patient. Visit our Dentist in Little Rock by calling us at (501) 868-3800 and find solutions to keep your teeth and your overall health healthy without feeling anxious or afraid.