Visiting the dentist can be stressful for some people, leading to them avoiding their appointments altogether and sacrificing their dental health. We want all of our patients to experience our expert dental care, which is why we provide IV dental sedation. This ensures comfortable treatment for those who experience dental anxiety or are worried about their dental treatments.
IV dental sedation is a tightly controlled process which allows the clinician to administer and balance your sedation at any point. You will be monitored at all times to ensure your safety, but you should feel completely at ease. With the IV dental sedation in Nottingham, often patients find they have little memory of the treatment being carried out, and that it feels like it has only taken a short period of time.
IV dental sedation is very different to general anaesthetic, which is no longer offered for routine dental treatment. Dental sedation doesn’t render you completely unconscious, so you are still able to interact and co-operate with your dentist. You’ll feel a little drowsy and relaxed, so time might be feel like it’s flown by!
To speak to a member of our friendly team about our IV dental sedation, or book a consultation, contact us at Beeston Dental Practice in Nottingham today! 0115 9254 169
From the first time you meet us to the ongoing aftercare we provide, you will receive the highest quality of patient care. You’ll have every opportunity to ask questions and we welcome this, to ensure you are completely comfortable with the procedure. Dental sedation relaxes all manner of nervous patients, allowing us to carry out complex dentistry in a comfortable and secure environment. Our dental team provide exceptional treatments, quality of care, and aftercare support, so you can relax in our care.
“I would just like to record my sincere thanks to the sedation team. The effort they took to put me at ease, involving and informing me at every stage prior to the procedure was exemplary and deserves recognition. Special thanks also to Joanne and Amy at reception for looking after my wife whilst I was in treatment, providing drinks and informing her of progress.”
– MR J. HOLLOWAY
IV dental sedation is a way of helping very anxious patients stay calm and comfortable during treatment. A sedative medicine, usually midazolam, is given gently into a vein so any nervousness fades and you feel relaxed throughout. It does not put you to sleep. You stay conscious and able to respond to us, but you feel deeply at ease, and most people remember little or nothing about the appointment afterwards. It is the strongest form of sedation available in general dental practice in the UK, which makes it a real option when anxiety has been holding you back from the care you need.
At the start of your appointment, our sedation dentist places a small, thin tube called a cannula into a vein in the back of your hand or your arm. If needles worry you, we can numb the skin first with an anaesthetic cream. The sedative is then given slowly through the cannula and topped up as needed, so the level of relaxation is tailored to you and kept steady. Once you feel calm, we numb the area being treated with local anaesthetic and carry out your planned dentistry. The cannula stays in until we are happy you have recovered, and it comes out before you go home.
IV sedation is very safe when it is carried out by a trained sedation dentist with proper monitoring, which is exactly how we provide it. Throughout your treatment we keep an eye on your breathing, pulse and oxygen levels, and the dose is carefully controlled at every stage. It is a far gentler option than general anaesthetic, which is no longer used for routine dentistry. Side effects are usually minor, such as some drowsiness afterwards or slight bruising where the cannula was placed, and the sedative can be reversed with medication in the rare event it is ever needed. We always review your medical history beforehand to make sure sedation is right for you.
No. IV sedation keeps you conscious rather than putting you to sleep, which is part of why it is so safe. You will feel pleasantly drowsy and relaxed, and you can still hear us and respond if we ask you something. Because the medicine has a calming effect on memory, many patients feel as though the appointment lasted only a few minutes and leave with little or no recollection of it. This is quite different to a general anaesthetic, where you are fully unconscious.
Sedation and pain relief are two different things, so alongside the sedative we always numb the area with local anaesthetic before we start. The sedation settles your anxiety and keeps you relaxed, while the local anaesthetic makes sure the treatment itself is comfortable. Between the two, most patients are surprised by how easy the whole experience feels.
Yes, and this part matters. Because the sedative stays in your system for the rest of the day, you must bring a responsible adult who can take you home by car or taxi and stay with you for the following 24 hours. Travelling home alone or on public transport is not suitable after sedation.
