For years the Dental industry here in Kingston and elsewhere, has been plagued with fear, not from the Dentist themselves, but from the pain and circumstances associated with any one of the procedures that a person is subject to. The resource of this fear stems from many reasons, however, in recent years methods have been devised to work around it which can accommodate those individuals paralysed by this phenomenon.

Some of the things that factor into this fear are the presence and use of needles, the sound of the dentist’s drill, the inability to sit still for any length of time, and the smell of a dental office. While these are just a few things that will cause someone to shy away from getting their own teeth looked at, it affects almost forty million people throughout Ontario and the rest of Canada putting them at risk for damaging health issues.

The misconception that surrounds sedation dentistry in Ontario is that it puts a person to sleep. On the contrary, the method is designed to put a person into a relaxed state, while remaining aware of what is happening. At the same time sedation dentistry  uses anaesthesia in order to numb any pain that is attributed to the given procedure, e.g. getting a tooth pulled, or a cavity filled.

There are Four Choices for Sedation

Because certain people are afraid of needles the dental industry has devised different avenues for “putting a person under” or rather applying sedation techniques.

  1. Nitrous Oxide: This is also known as laughing gas and is administered by inhaling it via a mask, and is one of the oldest methods used for this purpose. While the gas causes an almost euphoric state an anaesthetic will accompany its use to dull  and eliminate the presence of any pain.
  2. Oral Sedation: This works very well for those who do not like or are nervous around needles in addition to not being fond of breathing something other than air. Accordingly, a pill is taken one hour prior to a dental appointment followed by a local anaesthetic for pain relief. Thus, this works in the same manner as the gas.
  3. Intravenous Sedation: In cases where a person is not bothered by the use of needles this method works well and is administered in the dental chair prior to and procedure along with the local anaesthetic for the elimination of pain.
  4. General Anaesthesia: This method is applicable in situations where the person benefits from being unconscious, for their own well being. This also negates the use of an anaesthetic due to the state.

By now having this awareness about what sedation dentistry is, and the various methods in its application. It is easier to see that its use comes in handy for any and all types of dental procedures, lasting from an hour or up to six hours, that are otherwise rendered impossible due to the fear factor of a given Kingston resident.

Naturally, the presence of sedation dentistry within the industry has been an improvement in dentist patient relations and proves to aid and benefit those individuals  in Kingston that suffer from anxiety or fear when it comes to protecting the health of their teeth and gums.