Sedation Dentistry

Oral Sedation

Oral Sedation is used by dentists to calm patients, and it works relatively well to a certain degree on those with a bout of nerves. It helps eliminate the ‘gag’ reflex, which is problematic with treatment on those who would rather not be there! It is a simple pill, or combination of pills prior to a procedure. One cannot drive to or from the appointment, and it does limit the memory a patient may have regarding the procedure.

IV (Intravenous) Sedation

IV Sedation is more complex. We use it occasionally at Appleway because it is more precise. Your vital signs are monitored continually, and dosages can be increased or decreased instantly by the attending team member. Most patients have virtually no memory of the procedure – even in the event it takes several hours. It can be termed ‘sleep dentistry’ but this is a misnomer. Although a patient may be seemingly in a light sleep, it is not the same as a general anesthetic under which one would have an appendix removed. You are not unconscious, but totally relaxed while the dentist performs the tasks. We find it very useful to perform a great amount of dentistry in one sitting – particularly for someone who may have avoided dentists for years.

Freezing (not to be confused with sedation!)

Freezing is always a separate issue. Patients must be ‘frozen’ apart from the sedation dentistry to to eliminate pain, but these two issues do become linked together in the minds of many patients. Science provides us with many alternatives here as well, and it is simply a matter of us determining which combination works best for you!