Fear of the dentist keeps many people away from care they need, sometimes for years. Sedation lets you have treatment while deeply relaxed, with little or no memory of it afterwards. It is available for adults and for children, and it is planned around you at an assessment visit first.
Who it helps
- People with dental anxiety or phobia, whether it began with a bad experience or has always been there
- People with a strong gag reflex
- People facing a long or involved procedure, such as oral surgery or implants
- People who find it hard to get numb or to sit through treatment
- Those who have put things off so long that a lot needs doing
What sedation is, and is not
Sedation is not a general anaesthetic. You are not unconscious: you stay able to breathe for yourself and to respond when spoken to, but you feel calm and detached, time seems to pass quickly and most people remember little. You still have local anaesthetic to numb the tooth, given once you are relaxed. The type of sedation is chosen at your assessment, according to your age, your health and the treatment. The commonest forms in dentistry are a sedative given through a small tube in the back of the hand or arm, and a gas breathed through a small mask over the nose.
The assessment visit
Sedation is planned at an assessment before the day of treatment. The clinician takes your medical history and a list of your medicines, checks your blood pressure, weight and breathing, and talks through the treatment and the sedation. You are given written instructions and asked for your consent. It is also a chance to say what frightens you: needles, the sound of the drill, not being in control. Knowing that changes how the appointment is run.
On the day
Follow the instructions you were given about eating, drinking and your usual medicines. A trained member of the team monitors you throughout: your breathing, your pulse and your oxygen level. Afterwards you rest until the team is satisfied that you are ready to leave.
If you have sedation through a vein:
- A responsible adult must bring you, wait, take you home by car or taxi and stay with you for the rest of the day
- For 24 hours you must not drive, cycle, operate machinery, drink alcohol, sign anything important or look after children alone
- Plan a quiet day and arrange cover in advance
Children
For a child, the choice of sedation depends on age, on what needs doing and on how the child copes. Options and alternatives are discussed with you at the assessment, and a parent or guardian must attend.
Common questions
Will I be asleep? No, but you may feel as though you were.
Is it safe? Sedation given by a trained team, to a patient who has been assessed, with monitoring throughout, has a strong safety record. Your assessment exists to find any reason it would not be right for you.
Can everything be done in one visit? Often more can be done under sedation than in an ordinary appointment. Your plan says what is realistic.
I am too scared even to book. Start with a conversation. Tell us when you get in touch, and the first visit can be just a talk.
