Andre Bruni Explains What Sedation Dentistry is and How it is Helping Dental Patients

People who need dental treatment often put off their dental needs or get anxious about going to the dentist. This is mainly due to fear or perhaps a bad experience they had as a child. But thanks to sedation dentistry, that fear and anxiety are a thing of the past. Sedation makes dental patients more comfortable and less anxious while undergoing dental procedures. Patients can Receive the care they need in fewer visits while they are totally relaxed and won’t remember.

Andre Bruni of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a dentist at Pearl Dental Group who has provided patients with exceptional dental care centered around artistry, comfort, and care. He and his wife Dr. Jessica Bruni have earned a reputation for trusted care and were voted by Baton Rouge Parents Magazine as Baton Rouge’s “Family Favorites” Dentist four years in a row. Through the years, Dr. Bruni has established himself as a highly skilled clinician in the fields of cosmetic dentistry, dental implants and Invisalign. He has dedicated his professional career to creating gorgeous smiles giving his patients the ability to smile freely and chew with confidence.

What Is Sedation Dentistry?

Sedation dentistry is the answer to that dental phobia that some people have which makes them avoid the dentist. Studies show that many dental patients are nervous and anxious when they go see the dentist. Whether they’re having a tooth cleaning or a root canal procedure, the fear and anxiety are always there. Sedation dentistry is also for people who have busy schedules and would rather get all their work done in 1 or 2 visits while they relax in comfort.

According to Andre Bruni, sedation puts the dental patient in a calm and relaxed state. This increases the success rate of the procedure while giving the patient an overall satisfying experience. But this satisfying experience wouldn’t be possible if the only way to administer sedatives was through intravenous sedation, as not everyone is happy to have an injection. Luckily, oral sedation is the most prevalent type of sedation for dental patients. It doesn’t require a needle and is both safe and painless to administer.

Even more satisfying, these small pills (also known as “Chill Pills”) usually get the patients so relaxed that they hardly remember much about the procedure. This includes the local anesthetic injection itself. Once the patient is comfortable and sedated, the dentist will administer the local anesthetic to block the pain during the procedure.

Types of Sedation Dentistry

Since not all dental patients nor all dental procedures require the same level of sedation, sedatives in dentistry vary widely. Many factors help the dentist decide the best sedative for the patient. These include the patient’s tolerance to sedatives, the length and complexity of the procedure, and whether the patient has anxiety regarding certain types of sedation, notes Andre Bruni.

In general, sedation dentistry can be broken down into the following types according to the level of sedation from the mildest to the deepest.

• Anxiolysis: This is the least invasive and mildest sedation a dentist can administer. It usually involves either a pill to relax or nitrous oxide, commonly known as “laughing gas,” to help an anxious dental patient become calmer and more receptive to the procedure. The patient inhales the gas through a hood on their nose and gets a tingling feeling followed by an overriding state of well-being.

• Oral Conscious Sedation: Oral Conscious sedation is the use of oral medication in combination with nitrous oxide to achieve an appropriate level of relaxation so that patients can calmly receive the dental care they need. It is the most popular type of sedation used in dentistry and its amnesia effect allows patients to recall little to nothing about the entire procedure.

• Intravenous Sedation: This type of sedation requires an IV to administer sedatives. This is not something everyone is comfortable with. However, it almost has an immediate effect, offers good control over the patient’s sedation and it puts the patient in a sleep-like state. For the most part, its amnesia effect means the patient will not remember much about the procedure while being sedated.

• Intramuscular Sedation: This is a less common type of sedation that involves injecting the sedatives in the muscles of the upper arm or thigh of the patient. It takes up to five minutes for the sedatives to take effect.

• Deep sedation: This type of sedation is mainly used for very complex dental procedures that tend to take long hours of deep sedation. According to Andre Bruni, deep sedation makes the patient unable to respond to stimulation and might need help with breathing. Its effect will last for a few hours after the procedure.

• General Anesthesia: For people who are not eligible for the other types of sedation mentioned above, general anesthesia may be ideal, especially for large dental surgeries or for those with a mental disability. This type of sedation is usually done in a hospital setting.

Andre Bruni on the Benefits of Sedation Dentistry

One of the advantages of using sedation in dentistry is that it takes the fear and anxiety often associated with the visit to the dentist out of the equation. The patient walks in, gets sedated, and loses track of time. Dr. Andre Bruni muses that a procedure that could take hours will feel like a few minutes to a patient under sedation.

This makes complex surgeries such as smile makeovers that require more than one appointment less of a hassle for the patient. Regardless of the complexity of the procedure and the amount of time it would take, sedation makes the patient comfortable and calm throughout.

Safety of Sedation in Dentistry

Sedation, whether oral or intravenous, usually carries an element of risk. This is why Andre Bruni recommends that only dentists trained in sedation should administer it. “For the most part,” he adds, “anesthesia is safe as long as the dentist is licensed, experienced, and the patient is candid about their complete medical history and any previous or present drug use they might have.”

Sometimes people with certain health conditions could experience adverse side effects from sedation. This includes people who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea or those who are obese. This is why the dentist would usually go through the patient’s medical history before recommending and administering sedation. Both the type of sedative and dosage are correlated to the patient’s age and health. As a result, the dentist will usually monitor the patient’s vital signs during the procedure and intervene if they detect any adverse effects of the sedatives.

Is Sedation for Everyone?

For people who become anxious every time they think about making an appointment with the dentist, sedation dentistry is almost always necessary. These people usually have a low pain threshold, and their teeth might be extra sensitive. Others just can’t sit still in the dentist’s chair and keep fidgeting. Some people have busy lives or schedules and need to get it done in as few visits as possible. Sedation dentistry is a must in these cases. Andre Bruni also adds that sedation might also benefit people who have a bad gag reflex and for procedures that will take hours. Children would also benefit from sedation since for them the whole experience might be scary. Overall, sedation dentistry makes people more willing to see their dentist and take good care of their oral health and hygiene.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes