What does the term “sedation dentistry” mean?
Sedation dentistry refers to putting a patient into a light sleep through the use of medication delivered orally or intravenously. This requires special training by the dentist; often an anesthesiologist will be brought into the office at an extra charge. In rare instances, a patient could be admitted to the hospital. Sedation dentistry is used in more complicated procedures or for patients who are unusually afraid. In our office, I find that the use of nitrous oxide or anti-anxiety medication is sufficient for most fearful patients.
