Conscious Sedation

Dental treatment without anxiety:

Some people are so worried about visiting the dentist, they avoid attending regular appointments or getting vital treatment to protect the health of their teeth. This reluctance to see the dentist can be due to a variety of reasons including:

Concern about potential pain
Feeling out of control
Fear of being judged if their teeth are in poor condition
Bad childhood experiences
Strange sounds and smells
A needle phobia

If you have dental anxiety or a dentist phobia, IV sedation is a safe, effective way to make you feel completely relaxed and much more willing to undergo treatment. Your worries will be eliminated but you remain conscious and able to answer questions, so the dentist can treat you more effectively.

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What is sedation?

An effective way to treat the most nervous of patients is via intravenous sedation (injection). The drugs have a relaxing and calming effect but don’t prevent communication between dentist and patient so treatment can still be carried out easily. Weight, age, and medical condition must be assessed before suitability for this kind of sedation is determined but this would all be discussed during the consultation with the dentist. Usually, the patient would need to be referred to a specialist clinic for this treatment.

Why choose to have sedation?

Makes you feel completely relaxed and anxiety-free
Rapid onset of the calming effects
Level of sedation can be tailored to suit your needs
Can help you forget the treatment process
Allows you to communicate with the dentist

What is involved in having sedation?

Your general health will be carefully assessed, including your blood pressure and oxygen levels.

A very thin needle is inserted into a vein in the back of your hand leaving a soft plastic tube through which the sedative will be gradually delivered. You will be closely monitored throughout the treatment process.

Additional medication will be required to relieve any discomfort as sedation only calms you and does not provide pain relief. However, this will be administered once you are suitably relaxed.

The effects of sedation will take a while to wear off, so you will need someone to take you home and keep an eye on you.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SEDATION

Conscious sedation is defined as:

“A technique in which the use of a drug or drugs produces a state of depression of the nervous system enabling treatment to be carried out, but during which verbal contact with the patient is maintained throughout the period of sedation. The drugs and techniques used to provide conscious sedation for dental treatment should carry a margin of safety wide enough to render loss of consciousness unlikely”.

At Wallisdown Dental Practice, we offer IV sedation in conjunction with dental treatments.

The sedation is delivered by a specialist anaesthesiologist consultant.

Sedation dentistry goals

To decrease your dentist anxiety, fear, and discomfort
To facilitate an overall relaxed, comfortable experience during a dental treatment
To shorten your recovery period after the treatment
To maximise your dental treatment’s cost-effectiveness
To ensure your maximum safety during the procedure

Sedation dentistry Advantages

Makes the entire procedure a more pleasant and comfortable experience
Maximum convenience for both you and the dentist/dental surgeon
Increased cost-effectiveness as there are fewer side effects, and no hospital confinement
A quicker recovery period translates to shorter time off from your busy schedule

How will IV sedation in the surgery affect me?

Whilst IV sedation will make you drowsy and unaware of the treatment you are undergoing, you will remain lucid enough to communicate and cooperate with the dental team. The effects of the sedative will take time to wear off and you won’t be able to drink alcohol, drive, or work machinery during this time so it is important that someone can help you home after treatment and keep a careful eye on you for some time afterwards. Your dentist will tell you how long it will be before the drugs are completely clear from your body.

Will I ever feel differently about visiting the dentist?

It is highly likely! As you get to know and trust your dentist, hygienist, and other members of the dental team at your practice, your fears will dampen. In time you will come to see your regular visit to the dentist as just another part of your normal life.

Fees:

Starting from £500/hour

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What sedation is used for dentistry?

Dentistry commonly employs various types of sedation depending on the procedure and the patient’s needs. These may include nitrous oxide (laughing gas), oral sedatives (pills), intravenous (IV) sedation, or general anaesthesia. The choice of sedation method is usually determined by the complexity of the procedure and the patient’s anxiety level.

Are you completely asleep during sedation dentistry?

It depends on the type of sedation used. With some methods, like general anaesthesia, patients are completely unconscious and asleep. However, with other forms of sedation such as nitrous oxide or IV sedation, patients are typically conscious but in a deeply relaxed state. They may feel drowsy or even fall asleep, but they can usually be awakened easily.

What happens with sedation at the dentist?

During sedation dentistry, the patient is given medication to help them relax or sleep through their dental procedure. The level of sedation can vary from minimal (such as nitrous oxide) to moderate (such as oral sedatives) to deep (such as IV sedation). The dentist or anaesthesiologist closely monitors the patient’s vital signs throughout the procedure to ensure their safety.

Do you feel pain with dental sedation?

Dental sedation is specifically designed to minimise or eliminate pain and discomfort during dental procedures. Depending on the type and level of sedation used, patients may not feel any pain at all. Local anaesthesia is often used in conjunction with sedation to ensure complete comfort during the procedure. However, it’s essential to communicate any discomfort or sensations to the dentist or medical team so they can adjust the sedation or administer additional pain relief if necessary.

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