Our Blog
04
Jun
Sedation Dentistry Is Safe, but Tell Your Dentist about Medical Conditions
Sedation dentistry is a safe way for the many people who are anxious about dental treatment or find they have excessive discomfort to overcome these problems to get the general dental care they need or get complex cosmetic dentistry treatments they desire.
Almost everyone is a good candidate for sedation dentistry, but it’s important to mention health conditions and medications you are taking to your dentist so he or she can adjust your sedation medication accordingly. Here are some recommendations from the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology on some health conditions that have notable interactions with sedation dentistry.
Heart Disease
Oral sedation can actually benefit patients with heart disease. If you experience dental anxiety or related discomfort, it can cause your heart rate and blood pressure to climb, which can be dangerous and may even result in heart arrhythmias. By keeping you calm for your dental procedure, sedation dentistry helps keep your heart rate regular and under control.
Kidney and Liver Disease
Oral sedation medications may be cleared through the kidney or liver, so your dentist needs to know if you have these conditions so an appropriate medication can be selected. It’s usually fine to use oral sedation periodically with either kidney or liver disease, but your dosage may have to be adjusted, and in some cases, nitrous oxide may be recommended because it isn’t cleared through either of these organs.
Respiratory Disease
Many respiratory conditions, like asthma, can be worsened by stress, so, like heart disease, you may benefit from sedation dentistry if you have a respiratory condition. In cases of severe respiratory disease, sedation may not be recommended, but for most people, it is very safe.
Epilepsy
Oral sedation can help reduce the risk of seizures during a dentist appointment. However, many anti-seizure medications can interact with sedation medications, so it’s important to let us know what medications you are taking.
Diabetes
The only concern about diabetics is that some sedation drugs may affect your appetite and your awareness of your blood sugar level. It may be recommended that you have someone remind you about maintaining your blood sugar level.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea puts people at increased risk from oral sedation medications. In order to reduce risk, we may supply you with additional oxygen during sedation.
Have Other Conditions or Concerns?
If you have other health conditions you think may affect sedation dentistry or you want to schedule a consultation with one of our dentists in Beverly Hills, please call Nicolas A. Ravon, DDS, MSD at (310) 275-5325.