If disease, injury, or infection get in the way of your healthy smile, your dentist may recommend oral surgery to get it back on track. Wisdom teeth removal/tooth extraction, bone grafting, and frenectomy are examples of some common procedures. If you need one of these or any other type of oral surgery, your dentist can help keep you comfortable with the help of sedation services. Oral conscious sedation or IV sedation are two types — keep reading to learn more about how they work, and which one may be right for you.
Oral Conscious Sedation
For many minor procedures, oral conscious sedation can provide sufficient relaxation. Your dentist will prescribe a common medication for you to take about an hour before the procedure. By the time you are relaxing into the dental chair, you will feel relaxed and removed from the sights, sounds, and other sensations of what is going on around you. The oral surgery can then proceed according to the treatment plan, helping you get back on your way to a healthy and complete smile.
Plan to have someone escort you to and from the office, as the effects will take over early and may last for the rest of the day.
IV Sedation
Patients who have more significant anxiety or who are undergoing more complex procedures may benefit from IV sedation. This option provides a deeper level of relaxation — putting you into a light slumber — and the medication is administered directly into the bloodstream. The dental team can then closely monitor the dosage throughout the procedure to ensure that you remain completely relaxed while work is underway.
Because the medication is administered after you arrive at our office, you can take yourself to the oral surgery. Do plan to have someone escort you home, though, as the effects may last for the rest of the day.
Which One Is Right for You?
Your dentist or oral surgeon will help you to determine which method of sedation dentistry is best for you. It really depends on the procedure that is being performed as well as your comfort level in the dental chair. Patients who just need a little help relaxing for a brief procedure may be fine with oral conscious sedation, while those needing extra help will likely benefit most from IV sedation.
Whichever one is recommended for your procedure, you can look forward to a relaxed and stress-free experience when you partner with a dentist offering sedation for your oral surgery. And that is worth so much!
Meet the Dentist
Dr. L. Blaine Kennington, DDS graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry in Chapel Hill in 1984 and has developed his career as a general dentist and implant dentist in the decades since. He provides select oral surgery procedures with oral conscious and IV sedation. To learn more, you are invited to contact the practice at (360) 274-9100.