Conscious Sedation
McNerney-Wenzon Dental is proud to say that they were the first general dentists in McHenry County licensed by the state of Illinois to perform conscious sedation techniques. This means we are trained and licensed to provide a safe, stress-free dental experience for those who might otherwise avoid dental procedures altogether. With sedation, long appointments seem like minutes, there are no worries about not being numb enough, and best of all most people do not remember a thing! Two methods of sedation are used by the doctors. Oral, in which simple pills are used in sequence, and I.V. in which medications are injected.
Oral sedation is a wonderful option for patients who need more than just nitrous oxide, but don’t need or want IV Sedation or general anesthesia. It allows many people to be comfortably sedated through an entire dental visit using just a few small pills. This method has a slower onset but works great for very long appointments. Once you are at the office we administer pills and wait about an hour to start the procedures.
I.V. sedation uses injected medications that work quickly, allowing treatment to begin right away. We usually reserve this method for shorter appointments or ones in which we want to vary the depth of sedation (such as surgical procedures). Many people have already experienced I.V. sedation when they had wisdom teeth removed.
Conscious sedation is modern dentistry that lets even the highest fear patient have a relaxing and comfortable dental visit. Since the patient is comfortable, the doctor is able to accomplish the work of several appointments in just one. There are a number of conscious sedation techniques, but they all have certain things in common.
While the goal of general anesthesia is for the patient to sleep, in dentistry it is much more common to use conscious sedation, where the patient is sedated and comfortable, yet still awake. When conscious sedation is used, you don’t really fall asleep, even though you usually feel like you did. That’s because sedation feels so relaxing and peaceful that the patient doesn’t even notice the passing of time. The medications used in conscious sedation have an amnesiac effect as well, leaving patients with little or no memory of their dental appointment.
While all methods of sedation are very safe, the history of oral sedation has been especially safe as well as very effective. The doctors use very common medications that are extremely safe and widely prescribed. Your vital signs will be constantly monitored from the moment you arrive at the office through the appointment, and until we are certain you are ready to leave. In fact, they and their whole dental team are highly trained in safety and emergency procedures, making the dentist office one of the safest places you can be!