Dental anxiety is fairly common. But when dental anxiety impairs a person’s ability to maintain oral health with regular dental visits, it becomes a health concern. At Austin Laser Dentist, Dr. Helen Ragsdale uses conscious sedation to relax patients and minimize discomfort during dental procedures. Place your worries behind you and ask our Austin dentist about our conscious sedation options.
While conscious sedation and general anesthesia are both forms of anesthesia, they differ in several ways. Here are the answers to the top questions that people ask our Austin dentist when understanding the distinction between these two types of anesthesia.
How are conscious sedation and general anesthesia used?
Because conscious sedation is milder than general anesthesia, conscious sedation can be used for minor to complex dental procedures. Some dentists offer mild to moderate sedation to relax nervous patients and make dental procedures more comfortable. Furthermore, a dentist might recommend conscious sedation during a dental cleaning, cavity filling, or other dental procedure.
For instance, a gag reflex is a normal, protective bodily reaction that can pose difficulty during dental procedures. Thankfully, our Austin Dentist can administer nitrous oxide (or “laughing gas”) to patients with severe gag reflexes. Likewise, one study revealed that administering a balanced ratio of nitrous oxide and oxygen benefits dental patients with hypersensitive gag reflexes.
On the other hand, general anesthesia is a bit more “heavy-duty.” Under general anesthesia, the patient is completely unconscious and shouldn’t respond to any level of pain. Anesthesiologists practice general anesthesia by administrating and combining medications with the following aspects:
- Sedation: a sedative drug that produces a state of calm or sleep
- Analgesia: the inability to feel pain
- Amnesia: total loss of memory
- Muscle paralysis: the inability to procedure voluntary muscle movements
Normally, general anesthesia is used for most major surgeries, but some doctors offer it upon request for minor procedures.
How is the sedative or general anesthesia administered?
At Austin Laser Dentist, we offer nitrous oxide and oral sedation:
- Nitrous oxide gas is inhaled through a mask.
- Oral sedation is generally a pill taken a few hours before the appointment. Your dentist will give you specific instructions before your procedure.
Reciprocally, anesthesiologists almost always deliver general anesthesia via an IV line in your arm.
Will I be awake during the procedure?
Generally, conscious sedation permits the patient to be mostly awake. In particular, nitrous oxide authorizes patients to have some control of their bodies and respond to their dentist’s commands. Conversely, a light sedative prescription might reduce anxiety and allow you to even cat nap during the procedure.
However, the patient is almost always entirely unconscious under general anesthesia.
Do I have to worry about a recovery period?
Your recovery period depends on the type of sedation you and your dentist agree on. For example, patients who choose nitrous oxide recover their physical and mental capabilities relatively quickly after their procedure. So, patients who choose this conscious sedation method can drive home and carry on with their day.
Versus, patients that undergo oral sedation and general anesthesia need someone to take them home as they regain their faculties, which may take a few hours.
Our Austin Dentist Offers Conscious Sedation Dentistry
Dr. Ragsdale’s knowledgeable team carefully monitors your vital signs throughout your conscious sedation process to help you achieve a more comfortable dental experience. Find out more about conscious sedation at Austin Laser Dentist by calling (512) 346-4690 or messaging us online.
