The Side Effects of Sedation for Dental Surgery
- By Mary Marks
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- 21 Sep, 2021
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People who have dental anxiety are likely to postpone their dental visits and thus neglect their dental hygiene to their very own detriment. But it can be a bit more complex issue, as those who suffer from anxiety are also likely to get worried about the potential side effects of dental sedation.
Oral sedation seems to be the safest for most patients, because it does not imply the use of needles, it can be orally administered. In this case, patients take oral sedatives on their own, with the dentist’s recommendation, of course, before the dental appointment. With this type of sedation dentistry Denver area offices perform, they remain conscious during the whole procedure. The potential side effects include drowsiness, fogginess, headaches, dry mouth and not being able to remember the dental procedure.
Among other mild to moderate types of sedation we could mention nitrous oxide, also known as “laughing gas”. Gentle and safe, nitrous oxide can be used for children. Side effects appear very rarely, and they may include nausea or even vomiting, headache, blurry vision, excessive sweating or shivering, etc. Such effects are usually the cause of overdosing nitrous oxide, and can be prevented by carefully monitoring the exact dosage. With IV sedation, in some rare cases, some patients may feel dry mouth, nausea, headaches or drowsiness.





Although oral sedation dentistry Highlands Ranch is one of the optionsavailable for managing anxiety and discomfort during oral surgery, you certainly do not need to use it all the time. As a matter of fact, the exact type of sedation or anesthesia that you receive during oral procedures may depend on various factors, such as the complexity of the procedure, your medical problems, as well as your doctor’s preferences.
There can be several different levels of sedation that can be used in oral surgery. Local anesthesia is one of them. This involves injecting anesthetic medication into the specific area where the surgery will take place. It numbs the area and is often used for less invasive procedures.
Oral sedation involves taking medication in the form of a pill to induce a state of relaxation and drowsiness. The patient is still conscious, but he/she may not be fully aware of the procedure. At any rate, sedation helps him/her get rid of anxiety.
In the case of intravenous sedation, medication is administered through a vein, which induces a deeper state of sedation than oral sedation. Patients may still be conscious, but they are less aware of their surroundings and may not remember the procedure.




