If you need a root canal procedure, your doctor will probably give you a few options before this therapy. Some patients opt to just have local anesthesia—which prevents pain during the procedure, but does not alter consciousness. Other patients opt for sedation of some sort. When you choose sedation, you are in an altered state of consciousness—though not completely asleep—during the procedure. While there are pros and cons to both approaches, sedation dentistry is usually the best choice for patients undergoing root canals. Here's why.

You won't feel anxious.

A root canal can take an hour or more to perform. If you are feeling anxious about the process, that's a long time to sit in the chair, feeling worried and on-edge. You can't exactly move around or even take deep breaths to calm yourself down, which can be tough. With sedation dentistry, the experience will be a lot less anxiety-riddled, so you can sit back and relax for an hour rather that white-knuckling it through the procedure.

Your dentist can work with ease.

When you are sedated, your dentist won't have to worry as much about you wiggling in the chair or requiring breaks to handle your nerves. They can do a more careful job without you moving, which reduces the risk of complications following your procedure. You're also less likely to feel pain, since they will be working more precisely and are less likely to hit an area that's not fully numbed.

You won't have lingering anxiety after the procedure.

Sometimes, there are minor complications during a root canal that your dentist has to work through. They may come across a canal that is smaller than expected and have to use special tools to clear it. They may have trouble fitting the rubber filler into the tooth and end up having to use a smaller size. The process of hearing your dentist discover and talk through these things can be challenging, and it may leave you with feelings of concern and trauma when you visit the dentist afterwards. If you're sedated during the procedure, however, you won't remember much of the process and won't worry about it in the future.

If you've decided that sedation dentistry is a smart choice for you, then talk to your dentist to learn more about your options. Some dentists prefer to administer sedation via IV, whereas others may use inhaled medications like nitrous oxide.  

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