conscious sedation is the surgical placement of dental implants.  With the surgical placement of dental implants it is crucial that a patient is anxiety free as to prevent any movement during the procedure.  There are certain parts during the procedure that may not cause pain, but can make a patient uncomfortable.  Conscious sedation removes this uncomfortable feeling because the patient is often asleep or at the very least anxiety free and very calm. During the procedure I often have the patient perform tasks such as “open wide” or “bite down” or ask them questions in regards to how they are feeling.  With conscious sedation this is never a problem because the patient is able to maintain their own breathing and reflexes, they are also able to respond to different instructions. Also, most people would care not to remember the surgical procedure they have just experienced.  As an added benefit, 90% of the time the patient has amnesia towards the procedure just performed.    But, the biggest benefit to me as a practitioner is that conscious sedation is safe for the patient.  I cannot say the same about general anesthesia, the risks of complications are much higher.   As a practitioner who performs surgical placement of dental implants regularly, there is no other safe and comfortable way to have this procedure done then with conscious sedation.  ]]>