Can I Get Dental Sedation With a Heart Condition?

If you have a heart condition, you need to be careful about what you ingest, breathe, and what activities you partake in. Doing so will help to ensure that you don’t suffer a heart incident when you least expect it. When you go in to get dental treatment, you might be offered sedation dentistry in St. Paul, MN. But you should always let your dentist and hygienist know if you have an existing heart condition. But is it even safe to get sedation with a heart condition?

Anesthesia is Not the Same as Sedation

First of all, the anesthesia used for surgery is not the same as sedation dentistry. Sedation dentistry is used to help patients relax during treatment. Anesthesia is primarily used to make a patient unconscious during treatment. With sedation dentistry, a patient is fully awake and aware of what is happening. But the treatment is not worrisome, due to the relaxing effects of the sedative.

Sedation Dentistry Safer Than No Sedation

For certain dental treatments that might cause a person anxiety, sedation dentistry is safer than not having sedation at all. This is because anxiety can cause the heart to beat faster, or blood pressure to rise. Depending upon the nature of your heart condition, you may be better off having sedation dentistry in St. Paul, MN than not having any sedation during your treatment.

Ultimately, you and your heart care physician should have a conversation about the use of sedation during dental treatments going forward. But since sedation dentistry has not been linked to heart problems, it is considered a safe option, even for those with moderate to severe heart conditions. Talk to your dentist and doctor about the use of sedatives so that you can make the best choice for your individual circumstances.