Wisdom tooth extraction can be quite daunting to deal with. You never know what to expect, and the spike in anxiety levels only seems to make it worse. But by practicing breathing exercises and meditating before the big procedure, you’ll feel yourself calm down. Nowadays, dentists use IV sedation for wisdom teeth removal, which means you won’t even feel a thing throughout the process!
What Are The Different Types of Anesthesia Dentists Offer?
Most dental offices have various kinds of sedation dentistry, depending on the patient and their needs. For instance, some people might require a stronger dose of anesthesia, while others might not need as much. So, to maintain the balance between one’s comfort level and the complexity of the wisdom teeth surgery, your dentist will most likely carry some of the following anesthetics:
Intravenous Sedation
Intravenous (IV) sedation is the type of anesthetic that needs to be injected directly into your bloodstream. Since it’s so effective and has a high success rate, dentists and oral surgeons alike prefer this over others sedatives. Even more so in the case of wisdom teeth removal surgery.
Once the IV sedation starts to take effect, it puts you into a hazy state. That is to say; you will be awake and aware of your surroundings. However, you won’t feel a thing.
Nitrous Oxide
Commonly regarded as laughing gas, nitrous oxide is a sedative that dentists typically use for kids. But it’s not just limited to them. For people afraid of needles and pain, laughing gas is an excellent alternative.
The patient is required to inhale the gas from a tube, causing them to experience an intense feeling of joy and delight. Moreover, even though nitrous oxide doesn’t quite work as well as IV sedation, it’s still potent enough. But, there have been cases where people suffered from mild amnesia as an after-effect, but it goes away soon after.
Oral Premedications
If you’d rather take pills than opt for an extensive sedation process, oral pills are for you. These anesthetics are secondary to intravenous sedation and far less expensive than the others. However, you’re supposed to take the pills half an hour before the procedure starts for them to kick in. In addition to that, the patient must also fast prior to the visit to ensure the pills work better.
Local Anesthesia
Consisting of numbing injections, local anesthesia is used to numb the extraction site. It doesn’t affect you in other ways, which is to say you’ll be awake, coherent, and conscious throughout it all. But even if your wisdom teeth area is numb, you will still experience pressure and slight discomfort as the dentist works on removing the tooth from its roots.
Is IV Sedation Good For Wisdom Teeth Removal?
IV sedation is the top recommended anesthetic for wisdom teeth surgery, especially if you have more than one tooth to remove. Not to mention, when someone is under the influence of IV sedation, they’re asleep throughout the process. They don’t even remember most of the things that happen during the surgery.
Thanks to its benefits, IV sedation is wonderful for wisdom teeth. Besides being fast-acting and extremely relaxing, it’s a sedative that doesn’t leave you groggy for too long after the surgery. It’s also super safe to use, with no harmful side effects or triggers to be afraid of.
To Summarize
Long story short, if you have wisdom tooth removal surgery coming up, you should discuss with your dentist about sedation options. Out of all the options out there, IV sedation is the most effective, especially for wisdom teeth.
If you have any more questions or queries, reach out to Brenham Family Dental and Orthodontics. You can contact us at (979) 421-9685 or drop by our clinic in Brenham, at S Market Street, beside Nails by HL.