Periodontist Dr. Alan Farber of Farber Center explains the various types of sedation used to keep patients comfortable during implant dentistry.

Patients express their surprise by how comfortable they feel during and after the placement of dental implants. They often express the procedure was much easier than they expected.

Types of Sedation

Local Anesthetic

Many patients have their implants placed with what we call local anesthetic. Once the patient is numb they do not feel any discomfort. They just feel a little pressure or a little vibration during the implant procedure.

Using Medications

Some patients, however, need more relaxation and we use what we call conscious sedation techniques using medications. I am currently certified in New York State for conscious sedation.

Often times patients come in and they say they just want to go to sleep and wake up when the procedure has been completed. We have a medical team of board certified anesthesiologists who come to our office quite regularly. A medical anesthesiologist uses intravenous sedation, also called IV sedation, and puts the patient to sleep and carefully monitors all vital signs during the procedure.

Post-Surgery

After the procedure, the patient wakes up and we conduct further assessments. The patient stays in our office for a period of time in order to fully recover from the anesthesia and receive post-op instructions. A driver who accompanied the patient to the office then drives them home.

When patients compare the procedure to having a tooth removed, they often tell me time and time again that the implant placement felt easier. They say afterwards that they hardly felt any discomfort.

Also after a dental implant procedure in one of our Long Island clinics, most patients report that they use a minimal amount of medication for discomfort. Often we recommend Motrin, Advil, Tylenol or similar medications if needed for a short time after a procedure.