When undergoing certain dental procedures, you may need sedation. This may be to prevent you from feeling any pain or discomfort, or to address anxiety you may experience if you fear dental work. Sedation dentistry is vital when it comes to improving your experience, and there are numerous options to choose from.
By understanding your sedation dentistry options, it can be much easier to decide on the right one. Learn more about your choices and how each one can impact your recovery time after a dental procedure.
Understanding Your Sedation Options and Their Recovery Times
If you’re getting ready to have a dental procedure, your provider will typically offer the following sedation options.
Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous oxide, colloquially known as laughing gas, is often the first option for sedation dentistry. It’s a colorless gas with a sweet smell that functions as a mild anesthetic. It induces feelings of euphoria and well-being when inhaled.
A key feature is that nitrous oxide doesn’t fully put you to sleep, which allows you to respond to the provider if they ask you questions. It just keeps you calm and relaxed.
One of the best things about this sedation option is that it doesn’t cause lasting effects. Once the procedure is over, your provider will turn off the laughing gas and turn on oxygen to bring you back to alertness. It takes about five to 10 minutes for the sedative to leave your system, which is much faster than any of the other options.
You can even drive yourself back home after the procedure. Additionally, you don’t have to worry about needles.
Oral Sedatives
Another form of sedation dentistry is oral sedatives. These require you to take medication, such as diazepam, before the procedure so that you are relaxed. It provides a much deeper calming effect than laughing gas, but it will also take longer to recover from.
After the procedure, you will not be able to drive yourself home. You’ll need someone to stay with you until the effects wear off, which can take up to 12 hours.
Your provider may offer a few types of medications. They’ll look at your medical history to choose the most appropriate option.
IV Sedatives
For complex dental procedures, you will likely need to get an intravenous sedative. This option delivers the medication directly into your bloodstream, which allows the provider to adjust it as necessary while the procedure continues.
Receiving an IV sedative requires close monitoring. There will usually be another person in the room to check your vital signs.
Once the procedure is over, you will need time to recover. For some people, it can take a full 24 hours before the effects wear off completely. It’s essential not to drive or operate any heavy machinery while you still have traces of the sedative in your system.
General Anesthesia
For the longest and most complex procedure, you’ll receive general anesthesia. You’ll have to prepare ahead of time by not eating or drinking for a few hours so that you don’t run the risk of aspiration. General anesthesia requires having an anesthesiologist in the room to monitor your breathing and heart rate.
After procedures involving this type of sedation dentistry, you’ll typically be taken to a recovery room. For an hour or two, the team will monitor you to ensure you don’t suffer any adverse effects. You can then go home, but you won’t be able to drive yourself or take public transport.
It can take up to 48 hours to recover from general anesthesia. You’ll need to hydrate and get lots of rest.
Improving Your Recovery Time After Sedation Dentistry
If you received any type of sedative (besides laughing gas) as part of a dental procedure, there are a few things you can do to help yourself recover. The first is to ensure you have someone to take you home. Ask them to stay with you for an hour or two to ensure you don’t have any side effects. It’s rare, but it can happen.
Follow all of the instructions your provider gives you, and don’t force yourself to do anything strenuous until the sedative wears off. Get as much rest as you can and drink a good amount of water.
Get Dental Care Without Anxiety or Discomfort
If you need to get any type of dental procedure, you have the option of asking for sedation to make the process easier. Dr. Brett Langston offers numerous options, from laughing gas to general anesthesia. Schedule a consultation to learn more about sedation dentistry.
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