Expat Living (Singapore)

I’m terrified of painful dental treatments. When and how can sedation help?

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Dental phobia and extreme anxiety can hinder patients from seeking treatment or opting for less than ideal options due to fear. Therefore, sedation plays a crucial role. Nitrous oxide sedation, commonly known as laughing gas, has been a trusted method for many years due to its safety. It can even be used in children as young as two years old. While it induces a calm state, it does not provide deep sedation, leading to the need for IV sedation. IV sedation, or intravenou­s sedation, involves the direct administra­tion of sedatives into the bloodstrea­m. It ensures deep relaxation without losing consciousn­ess, making it ideal for complex or lengthy procedures like dental implant surgery or wisdom teeth extraction.

At Align Dental, weʼre fully equipped to offer a comprehens­ive range of procedures under sedation. Some of the most common procedures include:

• wisdom teeth removal, often necessary when theyʼre impacted or cause overcrowdi­ng;

• dental implant surgery, which replaces missing teeth with durable artificial ones;

• various tooth extraction­s, necessary for teeth that are significan­tly decayed or damaged;

• bone and gum grafts, crucial for patients requiring additional support for dental implants; • root canal therapy, which effectivel­y removes infected tissue from inside the tooth and seals it to prevent further damage; • periodonta­l surgery, used to treat advanced gum disease and repair damage caused by it; and • paediatric dentistry, for children who are afraid of dentists or are unable to stay still during lengthy procedures.

By offering a more relaxing experience, sedation dentistry promotes oral health and ensures patients get the treatments they need without anxiety.

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 ?? ?? Dr Priyanji De Silva, director and senior dental surgeon at Align Dental Surgery
Dr Priyanji De Silva, director and senior dental surgeon at Align Dental Surgery

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