What Type of Education Does a Sedation Dentist Need to Follow?

Dental anxiety is quite common in children and adults alike, causing frightening feelings that make people avoid going to the dentist. The good news is that struggling with dental anxiety may not be an issue anymore, due to the dental sedation technique that a Colorado sedation dentist uses nowadays.
Sedation is not the same as anesthesia, but it can go hand in hand with it for the benefit of the patient. Sedation alone does not eliminate pain (that`s the role of the anesthesia!), but relaxes the patient and provides mental comfort during dental interventions.
Who administers the sedative substances?
There are several types of sedation, from mild to deep. Dentists are allowed to administer mild sedation, consisting of the inhalation of a gas (a combination of nitrous oxide and oxygen), because the patient remains fully conscious and cooperative. They are trained in the use of this sedation technique during their general dentistry training.
However, a dentist needs additional training and licensing, according to their state`s law, for providing other forms of dental sedation that decrease the patient`s level of consciousness and require a closer monitoring. Additionally, their office must have emergency supplies and special equipment ready for unexpected situations.
When it comes to administering deep sedation, dentists collaborate with anesthesiologists, who deal with keeping the patient asleep and monitoring it, while they perform the dental interventions.









