Are There Different Forms of Sedation for Oral Surgery?

Most surgical procedures, whether it’d be at the hospital or the dentist, require a form of sedation or an anesthetic. Fortunately for dental patients, there are plenty of options to choose from. Here are four of the most commons forms of sedation that dentists use during oral surgery.

Nitrous Oxide

For basic and brief dental interventions, your dentist will administer nitrous oxide to help relieve anxiety and increase comfort. Patients inhale a gas and almost instantly feel the effects of it. What’s also great about this form of sedation is that its effects don’t last long after the procedure.

Oral Sedation

This form of sedation requires that the patient swallow an anti-anxiety medication before the dental appointment so that it has an ample amount of time to kick in. As a result, patients using this form of sedation should have an escort so they can arrive at the dental office safely. Oral sedation is perfect for patients who fear needles and are getting their wisdom teeth extracted.

IV Moderate Sedation

Also known as a “twilight” sedation, dentists administer this sedative intravenously. Patients who choose this form of sedative fall into a trance of deep relaxation throughout the surgical procedure. It’s usually used by patients who are receiving dental implants or other similar dental procedures.

IV Deep Sedation

Like the moderate version of this form of sedation, dentists administer this sedative intravenously. The only difference between the two is that the patient falls into a deeper sleep with this sedative. Dentists use IV deep sedation for long procedures like bone grafting or during jaw surgery when addressing issues stemming from a temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ Disorder).