Sedation Dentistry in Fort Collins

Our physicians from Fort Collins, so far, have so many ways of ensuring patients are as comfortable as possible during surgical procedures. Sedation is administering a sedative drug to a patient to reduce irritability to facilitate any medical procedure. Sedation dentistry Fort Collins is the depression of a person’s awareness of the environment. Intravenous sedation dental is sometimes referred to as ‘sleep dentistry’

How Does Sedation Work?

Sedation is mainly provided through an Intravenous (IV) that is placed in a vein. The level of sedation may depend on the procedure, that is, from minimal to deep. On minimal sedation, you will feel drowsy, but you will be able to talk while deep sedation, you will not remember the procedure undertaken. 

Minimal sedation helps you relax and awake as you will understand questions asked to you by a doctor. This level of sedation is used when the doctor wants you to take part in the procedure.

Moderate sedation not only makes you drowsy but also you are likely to fall asleep during the procedure. You may or may not remember the procedure. In some other cases, moderate or deep sedation may slow your breathing rate and you may be given oxygen if need be. Some of the patients wake up once the whole procedure is done and the medications have stopped.

When it comes to deep sedation, not only will you be unconscious, but also you will sleep through the whole procedure, and you may end up not having any memory of it.

Sedation Vs. General Anesthesia

Sedation, muscle paralysis, and amnesia are end results of general anesthesia, reversible, induced, and a controlled loss of consciousness. Sedation is the depression of awareness as a patient’s response to external stimuli becomes limited.

While general anesthesia and sedation are forms of anesthesia, sedation is a component of general anesthesia. There are a few aspects in which the two are different from each other. General anesthesia causes patients to have a complete loss of consciousness. At the same time, sedation is characterized by being very relaxed in consciousness and sleepy. The patient will not feel any pain but will be aware of what is happening throughout the procedure.

How Does It Work?

Sedatives work by modifying certain nerve communications in a person’s central nervous system to the brain. With that, sedatives relax your body by slowing down brain activity. Sedatives make the neurotransmitter known as the gamma-aminobutyric acid work overtime. The acid is responsible for slowing down a patient’s brain.

 What Are The Side Effects of Sedation

The side effects of sedation may resemble that of alcohol even with their calming effect; some of the side effects of sedatives include; confusion, drowsiness and dizziness, increased risk of falls and injury, slowed heart rates followed by breathing, problems with movement a well as memory, impaired judgment and attention, risk of dependency and addiction, inappropriate behavior and mood swings and worsening of depression followed by anxiety.

Next Steps

So, if you are interested in discussing more on sedation for dental treatment and dental sedation services, contact us to schedule a consultation with Dr. Livingston Fort Collins.