IV Sedation Explained
For lengthy treatment, or treatment you've put off for years out of fear, sedation can make the chair far easier to face. Here's what it is, how it feels, how to prepare and what to avoid afterwards.
How Does IV Sedation for Dental Treatment Work in Lanark?
At our Lanark practice, IV sedation costs £500 for a session, with £250 added for each further half hour. You stay awake enough to respond, but feel calm and sleepy, and most people's memory of the visit is hazy afterwards. The medicine goes in through a fine cannula in your hand or arm, and your breathing, pulse and oxygen level are monitored the whole time.
What It Feels Like
Within about a minute of the medicine going in, you'll feel the tension ease. Patients often describe it as warm and heavy, a little floaty, rather like drifting towards sleep. You can still hear what we say and respond when we ask you to turn your head or open a little wider, but the sounds and the passing time stop bothering you.
Afterwards, most people recall very little, and an hour of treatment can seem like ten minutes. It's not a general anaesthetic, though. You breathe by yourself throughout and you are never unconscious.
Who It Helps
- Genuine fear of dentists. That includes people who have avoided treatment for years and now need quite a lot done.
- Lengthy or surgical work. Full-arch implants, single implants, bone grafts or wisdom tooth removal, where lying still and relaxed for a couple of hours makes things easier for everyone.
- A sensitive gag reflex. When scans, impressions or treatment on back teeth keep triggering it.
- Getting several things done together. A number of treatments combined into one longer appointment.
Sedation is always paired with local anaesthetic, which is what numbs the tooth. For a dental examination, a scale and polish or a small filling, we wouldn't recommend it; taking things at your own pace generally works better for those.
Wondering If Sedation Suits You?
Book a consultation in Lanark and we'll assess whether it's right for you.
How We Give It
A fine, flexible tube called a cannula is placed in a vein, either on the back of your hand or in the crook of your elbow. That brief scratch is the only needle you're likely to be aware of. The sedative is then given slowly until you reach the right level, with more added if the appointment runs on.
All the while, trained staff keep track of your oxygen, pulse and breathing using a finger clip and a blood pressure cuff. When you're settled, your mouth is numbed in the normal way, so you're comfortable as well as calm.
When Another Approach Is Better
Sedation doesn't suit everybody. Beforehand we assess your general health and the medicines you take. Common reasons to plan things another way include pregnancy or breastfeeding, certain heart, lung or liver conditions, some medications, and having no adult available to see you home. In that case we might suggest shorter appointments with breaks, or spreading treatment over several days. If you're unsure about anything, just ask.
Preparing for Your Appointment
- Eating. Unless we advise otherwise, have something light a couple of hours beforehand. Some people feel faint on an empty stomach.
- Medication. Keep taking your regular medicines unless we've told you to stop.
- Someone to take you home. A responsible adult needs to come with you, remain close by, and either drive you home or travel with you in a taxi. Public transport isn't suitable.
- What to wear. Loose clothing with sleeves that are easy to roll up.
- Nails. Keep at least one fingertip clear of varnish or gel so the oxygen clip works.
- Drink. No alcohol the evening before.
For 24 Hours Afterwards
We keep you with us until you're steady on your feet, and then you go home with your escort to rest. Judgement stays clouded for longer than you might expect, so for the following 24 hours, please don't:
- drive, ride a bike or operate machinery
- have any alcohol
- look after young children on your own
- sign anything binding, send important emails or make major decisions
By the next day most people feel back to normal. We'll give you written aftercare advice and a phone number to call.
Cost and Booking
IV sedation costs £500 per session plus £250 for each additional 30 minutes, on top of the fee for your treatment. If you're having implants, we assess you for sedation as part of the free implant consultation.
Our sedation page lists the treatments it most often accompanies. And if you'd prefer not to be sedated at all, the dental anxiety guide suggests other ways to make appointments feel easier.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.