The Importance Of Sedation And Anesthesia In Dentistry Today

Do you know that sedation and general anesthesia have been an integral part of dentistry since the 1840’s?

It was Horace Wells, a Hartford, Connecticut dentist who introduced nitrous oxide in dentistry and his student, William Morton, who demonstrated the anesthetic properties of ether in the field of dental health. Their work has since become the foundation of medicine and dentistry today. It provided safe and effective sedation techniques that allowed many patients to undergo dental treatment with ease and comfort. Without these modalities, patients who have special needs and very young children will have difficulty finding access to dental care solution without experiencing pain and anxiety.

Sedation dentistry and the utilization of anesthetic management techniques address pain control in dental procedures. The administration of sedative drugs helps relieve anxiety and fear while local anesthesia is used to control pain on a specific region. General anesthesia, on the other hand, provides complete relief from anxiety, fear and pain by putting the patient in a completely unconscious state.

The use of sedation and general anesthesia is safe and effective when administered by properly trained dentists and specialists. They have to complete a formal training in accordance with the state dental board and the American Dental Association’s “Guidelines for Teaching Pain Control and Sedation to Dentists and Dental Students”. Only dentists who have successfully completed an advanced education in deep sedation and general anesthesia accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CDA) are deemed qualified to perform these modalities in their practice.

Before you commit yourself to a procedure requiring sedation dentistry techniques, it is important to carefully research the training, education and experience of the specialist dentist who will provide you with the services. Make sure that he is licensed to perform sedation and is in compliance with the state requirements needed in the practice of sedation and anesthesia care in dentistry.

To learn more about sedation dentistry and the utilization of anesthesia in dental procedures, visit www.sleepdentists.com. Our Fort Lauderdale dentist will work with you in designing a treatment plan to meet your goals and individual needs.