Sedation Dental Care Raleigh, NC
Have you been considering sedation dental care? Learn more about some relatively recent changes that govern all providers of sedation dental care in Raleigh NC as well as those across the state.
In 2009, the NC State Board of Dental Examiners put into place a policy that governs the administration of sedation dental care in order to help ensure patient safety. As a result, the Board now validates the recent experience and also the training of dentists who provide sedation dental care in NC. The Board undertook this initiative due to its awareness of the growing popularity of sedation dentistry among both patients and dentists, and in keeping with its mission to facilitate safe delivery of dental care in NC.
In Raleigh NC, as well as across the entire state, different levels of sedation dental care are available, although the number of certified providers remains relatively small. It may be impossible to even find a local sedation dental care provider in some parts of the state. Oral conscious sedation dentistry (also known as limited moderate conscious sedation dentistry) is a level of sedation dental care that provides for patient comfort during more invasive or lengthy procedures. Many patients seeking sedation dental care also prefer this form of sedation when they are undergoing lesser procedures – because they experience anxiety or are particularly sensitive to pain.
[See the full description of the new sedation dentistry regulations at http://www.ncdentalboard.org/PDF/CleanNewSedationRules.pdf]
Sedation Dental Care – How Available Is It in Raleigh, in NC?
NC Dental Board statistics from 2009 revealed the following facts about general dentists who offer limited moderate conscious sedation dental care in North Carolina, and more specifically in Raleigh NC.
- Of the 3,433 general dentists in North Carolina, only 96 were certified for that level of sedation dental care.
- Of the 264 general dentists in Raleigh, only 6 were certified for that level of sedation dental care.
[Statistics above were provided by special request to NC Dental Board in June 2009.]
Why Should You Consider Sedation Dental Care?
Some people need dental procedures performed in order to restore or preserve their oral health – or, in all too many cases – quite possibly even their overall physical health. A bad experience, either as a child or as an adult, with a dental care provider or a painful procedure can cause someone to become reluctant to have the necessary dental procedures performed. Often, the person may even experience about having routine procedures (e.g., teeth cleaning) performed. With sedation dental care, patients can cope with anxiety and receive needed treatment in comfort. [Additional information about the safety and benefits of using sedation dentistry is available at http://www.raleighdentist.com/sedation-dentistry.php]
Sometimes, it is only the availability of sedation dental care by a provider that puts someone at ease about having much needed procedures performed. Skilled dentists who are also careful about being gentle can usually handle most procedures without sedation. Patients who have not experienced pain from a dental procedure in decades can become anxious after they have a single bad experience – quite possibly with something as routine as filling a cavity. For those patients, the mere availability of sedation dental care provides a “safety net” of patient comfort that can quickly quiet the newfound anxiety.
Conclusion
With the increased popularity of sedation dental care, the NC Dental Board has become proactive in ensuring patient safety and in trying to remove the barriers that exist for some patients seeking the dental care they really need. Patients seeking sedation dental care in NC should feel very comfortable with using sedation dental care whenever desired. While the number of dentists in NC who are qualified to provide sedation dental care is quite low, it is growing. Because sedation dental care regulations in NC are relatively new, do not hesitate to ask your dentist if he or she is certified by the Dental Board to perform this service. Your preferred provider of sedation dental care can also provide you with more details about what your experience will be like. In that discussion, he or she can discuss with you the level of sedation most appropriate for the types of treatment needed for you or for other members of your family – both now and in the future.
[See http://www.raleighdentist.com/sedation-dentistry-accreditation.php for a description of what the new regulations may mean to you – written in layman’s terminology.]
