Two pills the night before a dental appointment. One pill an hour before the appointment. Presto! A comfortable patient that will have little or no memory of the dental appointment. An appointment can last an hour to many hours, but the patient will think that the appointment is short and comfortable. Sedation Dentistry has become more mainstream because of the desire by the patient to not know what is going on during dental care. The protocol that has been greatly researched to be safe, is also easy for the patient and safely administered.
I recently had a patient for a long appointment that was amazed at the length of the appointment. Many hours of treatment in the office felt like 15 minutes to this patient. Having a comfortable patient, sedated or not, is of paramount importance to performing excellent care. If the patient is not comfortable, no matter how good the dental care, the anxiety level ruins what could be a good experience. And it is about having a good dental experience. In fact, it is all about having a good dental experience.
A great deal of dental care can be done when the patient is comfortable. From a single tooth treatment to full mouth reconstruction, as long as the patient experience is positive, large amounts of dental treatment can be achieved in one or two appointments. Technologies, such as digital xrays and dental lasers, have advanced the care so that it can be delivered efficiently.
As an active member of the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation (‘DOCS’), listen to Dr. Michael Silverman, founder of DOCS, talk on the comfort of a relaxed dental appointment:
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