A dental appointment may be challenging for someone with a disability. Patients may find it difficult to sit still in the dental chair, follow their dentist’s instructions, or overcome their fear and anxiety. If you care for a loved one with a disability, going to a Mechanicsville sedation endodontist can help them get the care they need with comfort and ease.
Ways a Sedation Endodontist Can Help Those With Special Needs
Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, is the most common form of dental sedation for patients with dental phobias or low pain threshold. Dental professionals offer this colorless and odorless gas through a facemask. As the patient breathes normally and absorbs the mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide through their lungs, they’ll feel its sedative effects within a few minutes.
Conversely, these relaxing effects only last three to five minutes after the endodontist removes the mask. Unlike other sedative options, the patient won’t experience any hangover effects from the laughing gas.
However, wearing a facemask may cause stress to some patients. If your loved one can’t tolerate wearing a mask or cannot understand and follow instructions, it’s best to consider other sedation alternatives.
Oral Sedation
Taking prescribed sedative medication by mouth is known as oral sedation. It’s important to note that various oral sedatives produce different outcomes. While one type may calm patients and help them relax, another may put them to sleep. However, most oral sedatives limit the patient’s memory, so they won’t remember undergoing a dental procedure.
Moreover, oral sedation is ideal for patients with disabilities who cannot sit still or struggle to follow instructions. The dental care provider can open the patient’s mouth and complete their work safely with oral sedation.
Intravenous (IV) Sedation
IV sedation produces the same general effect as oral sedation. However, it allows the endodontist to administer a continuous dose of the sedative. They usually recommend this option when a patient requires extensive dental work. Since the IV medication calms and relaxes the patient, the endodontist can safely complete numerous or complex procedures in a single appointment.
Looking for a Mechanicsville Sedation Endodontist?
At Commonwealth Endodontics, we strive to provide quality endodontic care in a safe and comfortable environment. Contact us today to make an appointment.