Dental Sedation and your Dental Implants

Sedation and anesthesia work together, and they help in several ways.

Most obviously, they can reduce the pain and discomfort. For most people, local anesthesia is enough for most procedures. It deals with the pain, and that helps reduce patient discomfort.

But every patient is different, and you might be nervous about dental surgery. We take a whole-patient approach – it’s not just about your teeth, it’s about you.

If you have any anxiety over dental procedures or over surgery, sedation will alleviate the anxiety and help relax you. This helps in two ways.

First, it helps you feel more at ease. Time after time, we see how this can reduce your stress and lead to a much better patient experience. We believe very strongly in focusing on patient comfort and experience.

Second, it may allow that you won’t physically react in a way that interferes with a procedure, which could be dangerous for you. This is worth considering if you have a very high level of anxiety or nervousness going into surgery.

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Given levels of sedation, we put two trained professionals on the job. In other words, there’s back-up right there to make sure that even very small risks are taken care of.​

Knowing your choices of sedation level is important. The deeper the sedation, the greater the:

1. protection against discomfort and stress
2. risks of sedation, as well as post-operative grogginess
3. cost, because of the increased protection and the greater risk

So, your goal should be to get as much protection as you feel you need, but no more than that.

Note that with every sedation level we offer, you will continue to breath on your own. You will NOT be intubated.

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This is the most basic level of sedation. Whenever we do surgery, there will be discomfort. Indeed, surgery is impossible without some pain and discomfort. Minimum oral sedation simply reduces your anxiety.

If you don’t have much dental anxiety, but are a little nervous about surgery, this is often the best option for you.

You will remain fully conscious.

You will be able to respond to directions.

You will simply be more relaxed and feel what some people call the “two martini” effect.

This level of sedation carries minimal risks and starts at just $200. So, it is ideal for most people in most situations for fairly simple procedures.

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Moderate sedation is stronger than minimal sedation. If you are fairly anxious about dental surgery, this might be best for you.

Sedation is delivered intravenously via one or two medications.

Your consciousness is more depressed, and things will seem a bit murkier and you will think a bit slower.

You will probably drift in and out of sleep.

You will still have physical reflexes.

You will still be responsive to verbal commands, such as “open your mouth wide”.

And you will continue breathing freely on your own.

The price for moderate sedation starts at $600. Although the risk level is somewhat higher than with minimal sedation, the risk is still very low. This level also works with the local anesthesia, which reduces or eliminates the pain.

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Deep sedation is not often needed. But when it is, patients really benefit from it. If you have a very high level of anxiety about dental procedures or about surgery in general, you might need this level of sedation.

You will be asleep. You will be unconscious. You will not be aware of what is going on.

NOTE: This is NOT the same as general anesthesia. You will still have some of your physical reflexes. You will still breathe freely on your own. Vital signs, such as blood pressure, pulse and body temperature, will remain close to normal.

One reflex you will lose is the ability to swallow. So, we will be constantly vigilant to keep suctioning any fluids from your mouth and ensuring that no passage ways get blocked.

Deep sedation starts at around $1,200. This level does start to carry some increased risks, so it is recommended only when a patient really does not want to be aware of the surgery at all. Local anesthesia is still needed to deal directly with the pain aspect.

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We do not offer general anesthesia, but you should understand this option. This is the deepest level of sedation. It is generally used only in pediatric dentistry and in the most extreme situations. It is the only state where patient is guaranteed not to feel or be aware.

Under general anesthesia, a person can’t even breathe on their own. They need machines to keep them breathing. Due to the higher risks associated with this type of anesthesia, we refer these patients to the hospital setting.

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Whether you need full mouth implants or any other implant treatment that we offer, our staff is here to answer your questions and help you out. Consult with us about your full mouth implants, single implants, and other treatments.

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