Sedation

Sedation

Sedation dentistry involves performing dental treatment on a patient in an environment that’s stress and anxiety-free. It’s a way for dentists to help patients overcome common dental phobias.

Many people neglect going to the dentist or getting their teeth taken care of because of this phobia. Often, dental problems are left unattended till the very last moment when extreme measures are needed. Through sedation dentistry, patients are able to undergo dental treatments without any of the fear and anxiety that accompanies the treatment. Furthermore, sedation dentistry reduces the number of visits required for dental treatment to just a couple of sessions.

What is sedation?

Conscious sedation techniques are a way of making anxious people feel more relaxed about receiving dental care. There are several techniques to help overcome your fears and anxieties. Not all are suitable for everyone.

Our sedation dentists Finley, Adam and Neil , will see you at your assessment appointment and will discuss the different options and decide which is best for you. Inhalation and intravenous are the commonly used techniques.

What are the benefits of sedation?

Conscious sedation will help you cope with dental treatment and lower your anxiety. Even people who do not feel anxious about dental treatment choose to have conscious sedation for uncomfortable procedures such as extractions (having teeth removed).

What are the risks?

Conscious sedation using gas and air is very safe. You may feel a bit dizzy or light headed at the end of treatment but this should only last a few minutes.

We will give you pure oxygen to breathe at the end of treatment to help prevent this. Intravenous sedation can slow down your breathing. We overcome this by monitoring you carefully, so we can give you oxygen if you need it. You may have some bruising to your hand or arm after the injection, but this should heal quickly.

Inhalation sedation

In this method of sedation, you breathe a mixture of special gases which act to relax you. The most commonly used is gas and air, Entonox or Relative Analgesia. This technique is very safe with rapid recovery time and is good for adults but is especially suited to treating anxious children.

The mixture of gases is delivered through a small comfortable nosepiece. A specially-designed machine delivers the gases and can be adjusted by your dentist in response to your needs. You may experience a warm, tingly, floating feeling which allows you more easily to accept dental treatment. There are, of course, requirements both before and after treatment with inhalation sedation and the instructions given to you by the dentist should be followed. Your dentist will need to know about your general health and will require details of any current medication you are taking.

Intravenous sedation

With this method of conscious sedation the sedative drugs are administered by an injection into your arm or back of hand.

The onset of sedation is rapid and precise. The sedative makes you feel deeply relaxed. You will be able to talk and cooperate with the dental team, but most people cannot remember much about their treatment.

Before the sedation, your blood pressure will be measured and during treatment your breathing and pulse will be monitored.

Some people take little time to recover and you will need to stay in the practice until you are able to walk by yourself. It is important to have someone with you who can take you home and stay will you for rest of day.

This technique is popular with patients and is used to overcome the fear of dentistry. It offers a safer alternative to general anaesthesia. Your dentist will need to know about your general health and will require details of any current medication in order to assess your suitability for this technique.

Our principal dentist Finley has been treating phobic patients for many years. He is a dental phobia certified dentist. Finley offers all forms of sedation alongside Adam Quirke, Neil Dark and the sedation nursing team.