There are varying reasons why some may choose sedation dentistry. Some people feel claustrophobic when they are strapped to the dental chair. Sedation dentistry, therefore, makes them remain calm. Also, the procedure is for people who cannot tolerate the pain during tooth removal. That is because it uses sedations which increase your insensitivity to pain. If you visit any coral gables sedation dentistry center, you can choose intravenous or nitrous oxide sedation.
Every medical procedure presents some risks, which means sedation dentistry is not exempt. Here they are below.
Headaches
Certain factors contribute to them. If your dentist administers anesthesia to your spine, you will experience a headache. Also, headaches occur when fractures around the site cause you to have a misalignment in your cranium. Lastly, they appear when you continually clench your teeth due to stress.
In most instances, headaches are clear on their own; however, it is a different case if you get them after this procedure. If that happens, inform your dentist immediately. They will be able to address the main cause of your headache.
Drowsiness
Nitrous oxide keeps you in such a calm state that you may end up dozing off. Gas affects patients differently. Some people become less drowsy after a few minutes, while others become drowsy for several hours. If you fall in the latter category, you should not drive home until your drowsiness wears off. Alternatively, you should ask someone you trust to drop you home.
Some people may be stubborn and drive home in their exhausted state. Remember, you may doze off and experience an accident. Additionally, driving while sedated is illegal, which means you can be fined heavily or jailed.
Nausea
Anesthesia typically makes you nauseous for around 4-6 hours. If your nausea persists, there are things you can do to eliminate it. First, you should drink plenty of water. During the procedure, you become dehydrated, which reduces your body’s functionality. When you drink water, you signal your body to wake up and start eating, which reduces your nausea.
Another thing you can do is ask your dentist for medications. They will likely prescribe dexamethasone, aprepitant, or granisetron.
Dry Mouth
A dry mouth increases your risk of developing tooth decay and other dental issues. Also, it can interfere with how you talk, swallow and chew. That means you should treat it as soon as possible.
First, you can increase saliva flow by sucking on sugarless gum or hard sugarless candy. Next, you could take a lot of water regularly.
Slow Reflexes
After your procedure, you develop slow reflexes due to the extremely sedated state of your body. Your reflexes should return to normal after 24 hours.
If you have slow reflexes, you should stay close to someone. The person will be able to protect you from any impending danger that will require quick action.
The purpose of highlighting these risks is not to scare you from considering sedation dentistry. Instead, it is to prepare you for what to expect after going through with it. Thankfully these risks do not last long, and there are some you may not experience. That means if you are scared of the dentist or dental procedures, you can take a chance with this procedure.
As convenient as the procedure is, not everyone is eligible. If you are pregnant, you cannot consider it because nitrous oxide can hinder fetal development.
Comments are closed.