Sedation Dentistry
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Levels and Types of Sedation Dentistry
Several types of sedation dentistry are offered by dentists, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Different levels of dental sedation can be achieved, by using different medication, dosage, or sedation technique, depending on the needs of the specific patient. According to the way that the sedative medication is administered to the patient, the most common conscious sedation methods are categorized as:
For very invasive procedures or for patients with specific health conditions, General Anesthesia may be necessary so that the patient is fully unconscious during the procedure. General anesthesia is the only method that can properly be referred as 'sleep dentistry'.
Definition of Sedation Dentistry
Sedation dentistry* is the use of medication affecting the central nervous system (CNS) in order to put a patient in a calm and relaxed state while the dentist or hygienist performs the dental procedure. It is also referred to as "relaxation dentistry," "anxiety-free dentistry," "painless dentistry," or "sleep dentistry." Various sedative drugs such as tranquilizers, depressants, anziolytics, etc. are used to induce sedation.
In-Office Anesthesia
At Rogers and Platt Dental we do patients from 2 to adult ages, that used to have to go to the hospital for anesthesia but can now have procedures done as an outpatient in our Colorado Springs, CO office with the help of a brand new specialty in dentistry, the Dental Anesthesiologist. These anesthesiologist just like medical anesthesiologists are trained side by side but they specialize in doing dental patients rather than doing medical. The range of treatment that can be provided in our office as an outpatient under these anesthesiologists has opened up to a lot of younger children who mainly only had the option of going to a hospital setting for treatment. This has enabled patients to save a huge amount of money in hospital bills! We can also provide adults with all levels of anesthesia from Nitrous to a general here in the office. We can take care of all of your dental work to a portion of your dental work all in one setting and you get to sleep through the entire procedure.
Cost of Sedation Dentistry
The additional cost of dental sedation may be an obstacle for many people who would like to take advantage of the painless and comfortable treatments that sedation dentistry can offer. Light to moderate conscious sedation dentistry will generally cost much less than IV sedation or general anesthesia. In some cases you may get some dental insurance coverage for sedation dentistry, but in general it is not covered. Payment options are available at our Colorado Springs, CO office to help make this an affordable option.
*Certain restrictions may apply