Those of you who start dreading your next dentist appointment, and have nightmares when thinking of having your teeth drilled may consider sedation dentistry. For most people, going to the dentist can cause discomfort, but some are truly fearful of being there. Sedation dentistry can help someone relax and overcome the fear. But, there are some risks of sedation dentistry.

Sedation dentistry has different levels of sedation that can be used depending on the patient's needs. There are four levels of sedation that can be administered, ranging from a minimal level where the patient is wide awake still, to a deep sedation where the patient is asleep. Dentists can achieve different levels of sedation via laughing gas, or administering pain killers orally or through an IV. While most people only undergo sedation for more serious dental procedures, the risks go up as you use it for more simple procedures.

What are the risks of sedation dentistry? Any level of sedation can cause changes to the body which can be dangerous. Under sedation, there can be changes to breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate. With the subject sedated, there is also risk of accidentally breathing something into the lungs that shouldn't be. Choking can occur because the subject is too sedated to prevent it from happening. 

Those with health problems that are considered serious should be very careful about using sedation. People who have conditions affecting the liver, kidneys, lungs, or heart should be very careful about using sedation. The changes in blood pressure and heart rate can make these conditions even worse. There have been people who have died as a result of sedation that caused their preexisting conditions to flair up. 

Risks are especially high for young children. This is due to the fact that sedation has a much greater effect on young children than it does on adults. There have been many deaths as a result of children receiving too much sedation. For parents, make sure to ask your dentist about the risks of sedation, and to make sure that the dentist stays in the low range of sedation. And, if children are administered oral sedation, ask what the medication is.

One of the highest risks involves the dentist himself. One of the biggest problems is the fact that many of the dentists that administer sedation are not trained enough to do so. Any dentists who administer a moderate amount of sedation must have undergone over 75 hours of training and be certified to do so. Many dentists have come under scrutiny for either being untrained to administer sedation, or, administering sedation when it is not needed. If the reason for the sedation does not seem good, question your dentist about it. Many dentists have been found to be using sedation when unnecessary to increase profits. 

There are some risks of sedation dentistry. There are benefits for those who are fearful of the dentist or need to relax from the pain of procedures. However, those with health conditions should be careful not to receive too much sedation, and especially when kids are involved. Always be sure what a sedation procedure will be like and what the consequences are.