The thought of a visit to the dentist can make most anyone groan it seems. For some people, it can be simply a nuisance, for others it is mild discomfort and yet for others, it can bring about outright fear and worries. Despite all of this, dental care is as important as any other health care in maintaining one’s overall physical health and therefore must be given attention. For some people with special needs, the concerns about going to the dentist are even greater and therefore, the use of Sedation Dentistry Charleston SC can be extremely beneficial.
What is a “special needs” patient? That can be many things. It may be someone with limited physical mobility such as a quadrapalegic. It may be someone with a condition such as cerebral palsy, autism dementia and more. The need for these patients to receive dental care is as great as for any other person yet the process of getting and receiving care is far more complicated than for people without these situations.
Sedation dentistry in Charleston SC is exactly what it sounds like—dental techniques that allow a patient to be relaxed in order for the dentist to perform the work he or she needs to. There are multiple treatments that are commonly used and they range from basic miled sedatives that simply relax a patient to a general anesthesia that actually puts the patient fully to sleep during the treatment.
Nitrous Oxide, which is also known as laughing gas, works very quickly and results in dramatically decreased anxiety levels in patients, allowing them to relax to the point where a dentist or hygienist can easily work on the patient with no complications. If putting a mask on a patient is not an option (such as may be the case with an autistic child who may get very upset with this), a pill can be given that produces a mild sleepy or relaxed state of mind. The next level in sedation dentistry in Charleston SC is done via IV, intravenous sedation. This does not quite put the patient to sleep but they are relaxed to the point of a low level of consciousness, somewhere in between awake and asleep. Beyond this, there is the general anesthetic which does result in the patient being completely asleep and remembering absolutely nothing of any procedure whatsoever.
The dentist will assess each patient individually to determine the right level of sedation needed. Of course, it is always optimal to utilize the least amount of sedation necessary but to ensure that the needed work can be done. Dentists and patients today should be equally pleased for this option.
Tatum Dentistry offers sedation dentistry in Charleston SC to provide a relaxing and anxiety-free experience for their patients. Get in touch with them for all your dental care needs.
