Sedation is the administration of a drug to relax a patient.  It is the combination of adequate pain control and reduction of anxiety which allows patients to :

• undertake procedures they may be anxious about,
• undertake complex procedures,
• undertake multiple treatments in one visit.

There are three primary ways a sedation drug is administered in the Dental Surgery

1. Intra-Venous Sedation, can be considered the strongest method of sedation and is a safer alternative to a general anaesthetic.  The patient should understand that they will not be asleep, the sedation drug works by reducing anxiety and relaxing them.  They will require a chaperone to accompany them and someone  to care for them for the 12 hours following the procedure.

Numbing creams can be used to make the insertion of the small needle, through which the drugs are administered, almost painless.

It is important  to understand, when sedated you are very relaxed but always awake and aware of  your surroundings.  The only method ‘to put a patient to sleep’ is to use a General Anaesthetic.  For safety reasons a General Anaesthetic should only take place in a hospital under the care of a Anaesthetist. From my experience 95% of treatments can be completed successfully with intravenous sedation.   

2. Oral & intra-nasal Sedation, is administered by taking a pill or squirting a fine spray into your nose.  This technique is usually used as a pre-medication before IV sedation to help patients' tolerate cannulation.  

3. Inhalation Conscious Sedation, also known as laughing gas.  This sedation is very well suited to young adults, children, adolescence, patients with a moderate level of anxiety towards dental treatment.  It allows patients to relax into an almost hypnotic state making dental treatment comfortable.

Please note inhalation sedation is no

Longer provided at our clinic  AUG 22

For more information see  

www.dentalphobia.co.uk/sedation-dentistry.html