Does frequent sedation dentistry make you dumber? [Magok Station Sedation Dental Clinic] (Dementia/Memory Truth)

Hello.

This is Magok Station Sedation Dental Clinic.

In the clinic, when consulting on implants,

patients or caregivers sometimes ask cautiously,

but seriously, this question comes up.

My parent is older... After conscious sedation, will their brain get worse,

or will dementia come sooner?

We understand your concern very well: you want to remove the fear of treatment,

but you are worried it might have a bad effect on brain health.

Today, based on medical information, I will explain the relationship between

"memory decline" and "conscious sedation."

For those who are busy,

here is a quick summary of today’s column.

[Today’s Preview]

1. The real reason you can’t remember after conscious sedation

• Is memory lost because brain cells were destroyed?

2. Can conscious sedation cause dementia?

3. Why medical institutions use 'remimazolam'

4. Frequently asked questions - older adults, recovery time, etc.

5. The real reason you can’t remember after conscious sedation

: Is memory lost because brain cells were destroyed?

Many people, after surgery,

see that they cannot remember things and

mistakenly think, "The memory was erased because brain cells died."

But that is not true.

At Magok Station Sedation Dental Clinic,

we will explain why.

The main drugs used in many medical institutions for

conscious sedation, such as

'midazolam' and 'remimazolam',

do not damage brain function;

instead, they temporarily turn off the "record button"

that stores memories.

Explanation of how benzodiazepines (the drug class used for conscious sedation)

affect GABA receptors and temporarily block the formation of new memories

• Journal/source: Frontiers in Pharmacology / PubMed Central (PMC10536168)

In medical terms,

this is called "anterograde amnesia."

This means that from the time the drug is administered

until its effect wears off,

the process of experiences being transferred into the brain’s

"long-term memory storage" is temporarily blocked.

To put it simply,

it is like pausing the recording tape at a broadcast station.

The camera is on (consciousness is maintained),

and the lens is working too (spontaneous breathing),

but nothing is being recorded (memory is not retained).

Therefore, this is completely different from the tape (the brain) itself

being damaged.

2. Can conscious sedation cause dementia?

Now let’s talk about the

"connection with dementia" that many people worry about.

According to many international academic papers and research results

published so far,

Exposure to General Anesthesia and Risk of Dementia in the Elderly

※ Author/source: Juraj Sprung, MD, PhD (Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic) / Mayo Clinic Proceedings (2013)

there is no direct evidence that single-session conscious sedation used in oral medical settings

causes permanent cognitive decline or dementia.

Rather, at Magok Station Sedation Dental Clinic,

we explain that severe "dental phobia"

can be more harmful to brain health.

The effect of dental anxiety on salivary cortisol levels

Proves that patients with dental phobia have significantly higher cortisol levels before treatment than the general population

※ Source: J Int Soc Prev Community Dent. (2016)

Extreme tension and stress from pain

cause the brain to secrete too much of the stress hormone "cortisol,"

and this can have a negative effect on brain cells

over the long term.

Example photo of real-time monitoring

In other words, conscious sedation performed under safe monitoring

blocks unnecessary fear and traumatic memories,

and may actually help the patient stay psychologically and physically stable.

3. Why medical institutions use 'remimazolam'

To get straight to the point,

for the patient’s brain health and faster recovery,

we mainly use the premium new drug remimazolam.

1. Recovery speed

When the drug administration is stopped, consciousness clears quickly

within 5 to 10 minutes.

There is almost no prolonged grogginess

or dizziness.

2. A clear safety backup (reversal agent)

In an emergency, or when quick discharge is needed,

a reversal agent called "flumazenil"

acts immediately to eliminate the drug’s effect.

By contrast, propofol has no antidote.

4. Frequently asked questions

• Older adults, frequent procedures, etc.

We have organized the questions

most often asked about conscious sedation

in a Q&A format.

Q1. I’m over 70.

Will anesthesia be okay for my head?

A. Yes, it is possible.

In older patients,

the ability to metabolize drugs may be reduced,

so at Magok Station Sedation Dental Clinic,

we recommend starting with a very small amount

and gradually administering it at less than half the dose used for young adults.

This is called "titration."

Through this approach,

you can receive treatment safely without putting strain on the body.

Q2. Can I drive right after surgery?

A. Even though remimazolam recovery is very fast,

driving yourself on the same day is absolutely prohibited.

Even if you look fine on the outside,

there may still be a slight decrease in reaction speed.

To allow the brain to rest completely,

please use public transportation or come with a caregiver on the same day.

Q3. If I do it often, will I build a tolerance

and stop responding?

A. No, that is not the case.

At intervals used for treatment in oral medical institutions

(usually 1 week to 1 month),

tolerance does not develop.

Lastly,

one of the exercises that helps prevent dementia and brain aging

is simply "chewing" (mastication).

Every time you chew food thoroughly with healthy teeth,

the blood flow to the brain increases by more than 20 to 30%.

This blood supplies fresh oxygen and nutrients

to brain cells,

and continuously stimulates and activates the "hippocampus" and "frontal lobe,"

which are responsible for cognitive function and memory.

On the other hand, if teeth are missing

or if pain makes chewing difficult,

the brain loses stimulation.

Dose-Response Meta-Analysis on Tooth Loss With the Risk of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia

Journal: JAMDA (Journal of the American Medical Directors Association)

In fact, there is also a study result showing that

each time one tooth is lost,

the risk of dementia increases by 1.4%.

In other words, delaying implant treatment

because of worries about medication

and giving up the enjoyment of eating

is what can negatively affect brain health over the long term.

I hope you do not lose your precious brain health

because of vague fears,

and I will end here.

This has been Magok Station Sedation Dental Clinic.

Thank you for reading such a long post.