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Staying Safe Following Conscious Sedation

2018 September 24
by admin

Patient advice following IV sedation.

Conscious, or IV, sedation is available at our local dental practice and can be very useful for nervous patients, as well as those undergoing longer treatments, such as tooth implant placement. It is a perfectly safe option and is a great way to ensure that even the most anxious person is able to receive essential dental care. There are a number of things which patients need to consider if they are due to have sedation. These are important, not only to make the experience as straightforward as possible, but also, ultimately, to keep you safe following your treatment.

What does IV sedation feel like?

Before we look at the safety issues surrounding sedation, it is worth exploring how it actually feels when you have it. The sedation is administered intravenously and works very quickly. It isn’t unusual for patients to tell us that they fell asleep during the treatment, but the truth is that they wouldn’t have. IV sedation puts you into a very deeply relaxed state and it is quite possible that you may not even remember the treatment. Despite it occasionally being referred to as ‘sleep dentistry’ though, you should not fall asleep.

Bring a friend

When you have an appointment time for your treatment where you will be receiving sedation, you will need to find someone to take you home following the appointment. This is very important as the sedative will remain in your system for up to 24 hours and you could feel slightly “groggy” after receiving it. It is absolutely essential that you do not drive during this period. If you were planning to take public transport; whilst this is preferable to driving, we still strongly recommend that you bring a responsible adult with you to make sure that you get home safely.

Work

We recommend that you take time from work to allow yourself to recover from both your procedure and IV sedation. Even if you work from home, you may find that you struggle to focus. If your work involves driving, using machinery or one that requires caring for others, you should definitely take some time off from work for your own and others safety.

Rest

Patients should accept that, for 24 hours or so, they will not be operating at full capacity and we strongly advise that you stay at home for this time. Make sure that you have some easy to cook food in and then settle down to relax in front of the TV, or perhaps listen to music. We advise you not to go out shopping or similar. It is always possible that you may purchase an item that you regret, or even sign up to something that you can’t even remember doing whilst the sedative leaves your system. It is only for 24 hours, but being kind to yourself is a very sensible thing to do whilst you recover fully.

Amnesia

As we mentioned earlier, you may find that your memory is a little problematic for a very short while. Try to plan in advance what you will do on your rest day. If, for example, you take other medication, have these ready in advance so that you can be sure that you have, or haven’t, taken them. If you are concerned about the sedative and your own medication not being suitable to mix, please discuss this, or any health considerations with us before your appointment.

General advice

If you have had IV Sedation, you will almost certainly have received a treatment that required a local anaesthetic. Remember to take care until this has worn off to avoid really hot drinks or food, as you could burn your mouth without realising it due to the lingering pain killing effects of the anaesthetic.

If you are afraid of going to the dentist, you may find that conscious sedation is the answer. We will be pleased to discuss any aspect of this with you and welcome anxious dental patients from the Ashby, Swadlincote and surrounding areas. You can book an appointment to see us by calling Alexandra Dental Care on 01283 216347.

John Willmott is a sedationist at Alexandra Dental and has a diploma in sedation – GDC reference 47245.

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