Sedation Dentistry – Idaho Falls, ID

What Is Oral Conscious Sedation?

Oral conscious sedation is a mid-level form of sedation dentistry. It’s gentler than IV sedation dentistry, but just as effective. One of the best advantages of oral conscious sedation is how it’s administered. Instead of introducing the sedative intravenously with a small needle like IV sedation, oral conscious sedation takes the form of a small, prescribed pill.  You’ll begin to feel calm and relaxed before you even reach our office! This is a great choice for patients who get nervous before their visit, or those who cancel or postpone their appointments out of fear or anxiety. However, it’s important to note that you’ll need someone to drive you to and from our office.

How Does Oral Conscious Sedation Work?

The effects of oral conscious sedation come on much more gradually than IV sedation. As their name suggests, you’ll remain conscious throughout your time being sedated. Most patients feel groggy, zoned-out, and like their limbs are heavy. Some patients may drift off to sleep during their appointment, but we are easily able to waken them should we need to. While you’ll remain conscious with oral conscious sedation, the vast majority of patients feel as though they were asleep throughout their visit because they formed no memories during it. You’ll continue to feel quite groggy for a while after your appointment, so you’ll need someone to drive you home, where you should plan on relaxing for the rest of the day. 

Are You a Good Candidate for Oral Conscious Sedation?

While many patients qualify for oral conscious sedation, not everyone is a good candidate for this service. We typically will not recommend it if you are pregnant, have certain medical conditions, or are taking certain medications. However, you may benefit from oral conscious sedation if you:

• Are very nervous about visiting the dentist’s office
• Have had previous bad experiences with dental work
• Sometimes cancel or postpone your treatments out of anxiety
• Are planning to have several treatments completed at once
• Are planning to undergo a long or complex procedure
• Have a condition that makes sitting in the dental chair uncomfortable, such as back, neck, shoulder, or jaw pain.

If you are interested in discovering if oral conscious sedation is a good choice for you, give us a call today so we can meet with you for a consultation and discuss your options.

How Does IV Dental Sedation Work?

IV sedation is the strongest type of sedation that we have to offer. Instead of using a nasal mask or pill, this relaxing medicine is administered directly into the bloodstream via a small tube attached to the hand. Depending on your needs and how you feel, we can adjust your level of sedation throughout the procedure to ensure that you’re always safe and comfortable. During the entire appointment, we will monitor your pulse and blood oxygen levels.

Who Is A Good Candidate for IV Dental Sedation?

IV sedation is great for patients with moderate to severe dental anxiety or fear. However, we also may recommend this form of sedation if:

• You must undergo multiple or extensive dental treatments in one visit
• Other types of sedation aren’t as effective for you
• You have a strong gag reflex
• You have a medical condition that makes it difficult to stay still during treatment

What to Expect with IV Dental Sedation

IV sedation is incredibly fast acting because it takes effect as soon as it enters the bloodstream. While you will remain conscious throughout the procedure, it’s very common to fall asleep. Our sedation dentist in Idaho Falls will be able to wake you with a light tap on the shoulder if we need to communicate. Once your appointment is over, it’s not likely that you will remember what happened. This is a bonus benefit for most patients who are fearful or anxious when it comes to dental care. Because of the strong effects of IV sedation, we ask patients to have a friend or family member take them to and from our practice.

Benefits of IV Dental Sedation

• Strength:  It can calm and relax even the most anxious or fearful patients, allowing them to get the dental care they need and deserve.
• Personalization:  The level of your sedation can be adjusted throughout your appointment so you can enjoy a level of comfort that matches your exact needs.
• Side effects:  It produces fewer and milder side effects compared to general anesthesia. Plus, it has a faster recovery time.

A Faster Procedure

When dental anxiety makes it difficult to sit still, your dentist can have trouble safely and effectively providing treatment. Fortunately, with sedation dentistry, you can relax, which allows Dr. Cline to perform the necessary work to improve your oral health. This is not only done more greater precision, but it is also completely more efficiently, allowing you to spend less time in the dentist’s chair.

A Pain-Free Experience

Worried the pain will be too much for you to bear? Not to worry! Sedation dentistry is designed to eliminate any pain you might feel during your visit. The only minor discomfort you might feel is the insertion of the IV should you and Dr. Cline choose this method of sedation; however, you will quickly fall into a dream-like state, remaining conscious but fully relaxed.

Reduced Gag Reflex

If you have a sensitive gag reflex, it can make even a general checkup and cleaning difficult. With oral conscious or IV sedation, the muscles in your throat will relax, reducing the sensation that causes you to gag in the first place. As a result, Dr. Cline will be able to swiftly administer treatment without the potential for complications to arise because of a sudden oral spasm.

Reduced Fear and Anxiety

The most common benefit of sedation dentistry is its ability to minimize fear and anxiety. In fact, it’s one of the main reasons dentists offer it to patients. Dr. Cline understands the dentist’s office isn’t the first place most people want to visit, especially those who are afraid. Fortunately, if you’ve been traumatized by a previous experience, dislike the sights, sounds, or smells of a dental office, or worry you’ll be in pain throughout your entire visit, sedation can quickly alleviate those concerns and leave you feeling comfortable and at ease.

Will I Feel Anything with Sedation Dentistry?

In most cases, patients feel virtually nothing during their treatment. The sedatives we use reduce your brain’s ability to register pain. Additionally, we’ll often administer a local anesthetic to ensure you’re comfortable. Depending on the extent of your treatment, you may feel some degree of soreness afterward, but we’ll provide you with aftercare instructions to help you manage any discomfort.

What Can I Expect After Getting Dental Sedation?

The effects of oral conscious and IV sedation can last for several hours after your procedure has finished. You will likely feel somewhat drowsy, so you should refrain from driving or drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours or so. You should arrange for someone to transport you to and from our office, and possibly keep an eye on you for the rest of the day, if you’re receiving sedation.

You can also expect to not remember very many details from your procedure. Time might seem to move much more quickly during your procedure and even for many hours afterward.

Is Sedation Dentistry Safe?

When administered by a trained professional like Dr. Cline, sedation dentistry is perfectly safe. With IV sedation, our team can adjust the dosage of the sedative as needed throughout your procedure. With oral conscious sedation, Dr. Cline will calculate the ideal dosage for you based on factors such as your height, weight, and gender.