Can Sedation Dentistry Really Do All My Work at Once?

I’m a little embarrassed that I even have to ask this. I have avoided the dentist for a couple of reasons. One is economic. It’s just so expensive and dental insurance doesn’t seem to cover much. The other, if I’m honest, is you guys terrify me. I half expect you to walk in with a lab coat and mad scientist hair giving some kind of loud, evil laugh. I know…stupid. But that’s the dentist who shows up in my nightmares. Anyway, I went to the dentist some time ago and he gave me this laundry list of work which needs to be done, including crowns, two extractions, one bridge, and several fillings. I couldn’t do it then because of finances, but really want to get it done. I keep seeing the advertisement from a dentist which says all your work can be done in one visit with dental sedation. Is that true? If so, would it still be true for someone like me?

Carrie L.

Dear Carrie,

Woman in dental chair asleep from dental sedation

It’s great that you’re trying to overcome your dental anxiety and do everything you can to get your oral health in order. It sounds like dental sedation will be absolutely perfect for you. You can not only get significantly more work done in your appointment, but you can also have a stress-free and pain-free dental appointment.

How Dental Sedation Will Work

You’ll schedule a consultation before anything else with the dentist. This is where you go over your medical history as well as any medications you’re taking to ensure he doesn’t give you anything that interferes with the medication you have to take.

They’ll go over what type of work you need done and have you sign a form agreeing to the treatment. They do that because you can’t agree to any work while you’re under sedation. It doesn’t mean you have to get the work right then or even have to get it if you change your mind.

It’s in your benefit to have a consultation with a few dentists as you don’t have a dentist you’re already familiar with. This will give you a chance to get to know them and see which one you’d be more comfortable with. Be sure you check their reviews as well to get an idea of what other patient’s experiences have been with them.

As you’ll learn on our sedation dentistry page, you’ll just take a simple pill before your appointment to relax you. However, it’s so effective you will need someone to drive you to and from your dental appointment. You will be way too woozy to drive.

Make Sure You Get Your Options

While a dental bridge is an acceptable tooth replacement option. You’re having two teeth extracted. If they’re adjacent teeth, that means you’ll need a two-unit bridge. Those are less stable than a single bridge. If one part gets damaged, the whole unit will have to be replaced. Plus, you’re talking about grinding down two healthy adjacent teeth to make room for the crowns.

If they’re two teeth in different places in your mouth, you’re talking about grinding down four healthy teeth in order to make room for those crowns. Before you make a decision on your teeth replacements, I’d like you to look into dental implants, just to make sure you know at least one other option. Technically, your dentist should tell you all your options, so don’t hesitate to ask.

Best of luck to you. This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Steven Collins.