Conscious Sedation

What is Conscious Sedation and How is It Applied?

Conscious sedation is a technique that allows the patient to relax during dental treatments without being under anesthesia. In this technique, the aim is to calm the patient and make the treatment process more comfortable by giving a certain dose of medication. This method is especially ideal for patients who feel anxious during dental treatment or have a dental phobia.

Conscious sedation is administered using an anesthetic drug, usually in the form of an oral pill or inhaled gas. Patients will remain awake but relaxed and calm during the procedure. In this way, it becomes easier for patients to control themselves and an opportunity is created for them to overcome their fears of dental treatments.

Conscious sedation is used only in certain types of dental treatments. It is generally used during procedures such as tooth extraction, root canal treatment, implant and filling. However, it may not be suitable for every patient and therefore the patient’s medical history and health condition should be taken into consideration before recommending a dentist.

What are the Advantages of Conscious Sedation?

Thanks to this method, patients are provided with a more convenient and comfortable treatment experience. Some advantages of conscious sedation include:

Reduces anxiety: Conscious sedation is a very effective method, especially for patients with dental treatment anxiety. By reducing patients’ anxieties and fears, the treatment process becomes more comfortable.

Reduces pain: Conscious sedation reduces pain more effectively when used with local anesthesia. In this way, patients are provided with treatment without feeling pain.

Reduces procedure time: Thanks to conscious sedation, patients are treated more comfortably and calmly. This shortens the procedure time and provides an easier working environment for the dentist.

Enables more focus on treatment: Thanks to conscious sedation, patients’ minds are not on dental treatment, but in a more relaxed and comfortable state. In this way, dentists provide a better working environment for the treatment of patients.

Provides memory loss: Thanks to conscious sedation, it is possible for patients to lose some memories about the treatment process. This can help forget negative experiences such as pain, fear and anxiety, especially during dental treatment.

Accelerates the recovery process after treatment: Thanks to conscious sedation, it is possible for patients to move less and feel less pain during treatment. This may accelerate the recovery process after treatment.

Who Can Be Applied to Conscious Sedation?

Conscious sedation is often applied to patients who have dental phobia or want to relax during the dental procedure. It can also be applied to patients experiencing the following conditions:

Patients with fear of dental treatment
Patients who cannot sit in the dentist’s chair for long periods of time and have problems such as poor posture or back pain
Patients who will undergo surgery for surgical procedures performed by a dentist
Patients with mental or physical disabilities
Patients with very sensitive gag reflex

However, it may not be suitable for every patient. For example, it may not be suitable for patients with severe heart or breathing problems. Therefore, your dentist will perform an evaluation to determine if it is right for you.

What Should Be Considered Before, During and After Conscious Sedation?

There are some points to consider before, during and after conscious sedation. These points are as follows:

Pre:

It is necessary to obtain information about the patient’s other medical conditions.
Before the sedation procedure, the patient is informed that he/she must be hungry. It is generally recommended to fast for at least 6 hours.
Before the sedation procedure, the patient must inform the dentist about medications and allergies.
The patient’s blood sugar level should be measured before the sedation procedure.
The patient must be accompanied by a companion before the sedation procedure.

Sequence:

During the sedation process, all vital signs of the patient should be monitored (heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, etc.).
During the sedation process, the patient’s reflexes must be checked.
The dentist must take all necessary precautions to ensure that the patient is comfortable during the sedation procedure and does not feel any pain during the procedure.

Post:

After the sedation procedure, the patient’s reflexes should be checked.
After the sedation procedure, the patient’s mouth should be checked for any bleeding.
After the sedation procedure, it should be checked whether there is any swelling or pain in the patient’s mouth.
After the sedation procedure, before the patient is allowed to go home, the dentist must provide the necessary information about the issues that need to be taken into consideration afterwards.

All the above-mentioned issues are extremely important for the safety and health of the patient and should be carefully followed by dentists before, during and after the sedation procedure.