Conscious Sedation, Dentist Redmond, Alan Nohr D.D.S., Redmond Medical Center, Redmond, Washington, Conscious Sedation.

Conscious Sedation :

	Conscious sedation is a unique term used to describe a wide spectrum of various levels of sedation. This spectrum starts with medications and techniques that generate a state in which the patient is lightly or mildly relaxed, and ends with medications and techniques that generate a state describes as deep sedation in which the patient fully loses consciousness. Since sedation involves the depression of ones level of consciousness and everyone reacts slightly differently to the previously described analgesics, anesthetics, anti-anxiety, and /or sedatives agents your dentist often needs to tailor a specific medication and / or technique to achieve a level of sedation to meet the specific needs of the patient.


	Patients who have been sedated with specific techniques and / or agents often feel as though they have been asleep throughout their appointment. Patients who are faced with a heightened level of fear or anxiety, or who require involved dental procedures (like root canals or surgical extractions) may elect to be sedated for their treatment.

Patients who have an extremely busy schedule and require multiple procedures may elect to be sedated for a single long appointment rather than multiple shorter ones. All general dentists cannot use every form of medication and / or technique to cover the entire spectrum of conscious sedation. Washington State law divides the sedation spectrum into (3) three different categories. Each of these categories are defined and classified by training requirements, procedures for administration, equipment and emergency medications, continuing education, and necessity for permit.

*see Sleep Dentistry for additional information on sedation spectrum.