Sedation dentistry has been used for over 150 years beginning with William Morton demonstrating ether for pain management in 1846. While Horace Wells attempted to use nitrous oxide earlier in 1845, it was not widely accepted until Morton's demonstration. Though the concepts of sedation and sleep dentistry have evolved, nitrous oxide continues to be a commonly used dental anesthetic today. Sedation dentistry allows anxious patients to relax while conscious during procedures, while sleep dentistry uses general anesthesia, rendering the patient unconscious.

1. The History of Sedation Dentistry

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For many people, heading to the dentist causes feelings of anxiety and fear.
However, sedation dentistry provides these patients with a way they can relax
when dental treatments are required instead of dealing with panic, anxiety and
fear. Sedation dentistry is not a new concept, although it has evolved
significantly over time. A look at the history behind sedation and sleep
dentistry finds that this type of dentistry has a long, rich history.
Here is a closer look at the history behind sedation dentistry, as well as a
look at how sedation has evolved today.

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Understanding the Differences Between
Sedation Dentistry and Sleep Dentistry

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Before looking at the history behind sedation
dentistry, it is important to understand the
differences between sedation dentistry and
sleep dentistry. Unfortunately, patients often
confuse them or think they are the same thing,
yet they have some significant differences to
consider.

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Sleep dentistry is an approach that makes use of general anaesthesia, rendering the
patient fully unconscious, so they are asleep during the dental procedure. Certain
extensive dental procedures may require sleep dentistry treatment, but there are
some risks to using general anaesthesia. This type of approach is rarely used just to
deal with phobias, anxiety or fear, but it is reserved for extensive, invasive dental
procedures, such as certain types of oral surgery.

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On the other hand, sedation dentistry is a more
common that is very popular today. It is quite safe
and is an excellent choice for individuals that
fear the dentist’s office or those who deal with
anxiety when they head into the office for dental
treatment. Patients are still conscious when
sedation dentistry is used, yet they are fully
relaxed and in a dream-like state. In most cases,
patients never remember the procedure, even though they are not asleep during the
treatment.

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The Origins and History of Sedation Dentistry

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Although sedation dentistry is not a new concept,
it has only recently become a popular option
around the world. The history of sedating dental
patients for dental procedures goes all the way
back to William T. G. Morton, a dentist that used
ether on a patient before performing a procedure.
This occurred in 1846 and Morton administered
the ether before a procedure in front of an entire
amphitheatre of students and physicians. This took place at Harvard University.

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Before this presentation by Morton, another dentist, Horace Wells, tried to
demonstrate that nitrous oxide could work as an anaesthetic agent. This took place
in 1845, and unfortunately, the trial was unsuccessful and the audience was
unimpressed by his attempts to use nitrous oxide. However, since that time, nitrous
oxide has quickly become a popular form of anaesthesia used by dentists and it is
often used still today.

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However, it was not until 1864 that the American
Dental Association finally recognized Wells for
his discovery. Since the gas is easy to use, very
safe and quite inexpensive, it is an excellent
choice. It also helps to raise patients’ pain
threshold, which is another benefit to using this
gas on dental patients.

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Sedation Dentistry Today

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Although the idea of sedation dentistry goes back
more than 150 years, technology has provided
today’s dentists with many options to use when
sedation patients for dental treatments. IV
sedatives, nitrous oxide and many oral sedatives
are available. Each type of sedation works to
ensure that patients are completely relaxed and
comfortable. Today’s sedation techniques are also very safe, especially when
qualified sedation dentists administer them.

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Sedation dentistry has an interesting history and it has been used successfully for
many years now. If you fear going to the dentist, you deal with anxiety or you need to
have significant work done in a single treatment, talk to your dentist about your
sedation options. Sedation may be the best option for you, ensuring that you have a
comfortable, relaxing experience while you get the dental care that you require.

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