If you are anxious about dental treatment, then you might consider sedation dentistry.
Sedation can help you feel more relaxed during your dental treatment. You may choose sedation for more complex dental treatments or procedures such as wisdom tooth removal or dental implants.
What is Sedation?
The technique involves the use of a sedative medication to put you into a calm and restful sleep like state, whilst you remain conscious.
At Maven Dental, we want you to feel comfortable every step of the way, especially through more complex dental treatments. We offer three types of sedation to reduce any worries.
- Inhalation Sedation which involves breathing in nitrous oxide gas to decrease pain sensitivity. Commonly known as ‘laughing gas’ or ‘happy gas’
- Oral Sedation is a sedative in the form of tablet or liquid usually taken an hour before appointment.
- Intravenous (IV) Sedation (sometimes known as ‘twilight sedation’ or ‘sleep dentistry’) involves a small injection of sedative into your arm, which quickly makes you feel drowsy and relaxed.
Contact your local Maven Dental practice to find out what sedation methods are available to you.
Need to Know
Appointments
- 1 single appointment for Inhalation Sedation and Oral Sedation
- IV Sedation may involve a separate consultation visit
How long it takes?
- Inhalation Sedation takes minutes to start working
- Oral Sedation takes up to an hour to begin working
- IV Sedation usually takes a few minutes to start working
You may be asked about
- Your dental and medical history
- Medications you are currently taking
Before your appointment
If you’re taking oral sedation, you will be prescribed this prior to your appointment and will be required to take this an hour before your appointment
After your appointment
- Inhalation sedation has no after effects and usually wears off quickly after
- Oral or IV sedation will likely leave you feeling a little drowsy afterwards. You will need to arrange someone to take you home afterwards and to look after you for a few hours afterwards. You won’t be able to drive or operate machinery for 24 hours after the sedation.
Quick Tip
If you are feeling nervous or anxious about getting your dental treatment done, talk to your dentist about sedation options that are available to you.
FAQs
The cost will vary depending on the type of sedation you use in your treatment. At the consultation with your Maven dentist, we will recommend the best option suited to you, your dental treatment and we can give you an indication of costs involved.
Your dental treatment will be pain free. You will still receive a local anaesthetic, but this will be after you are sedated, allowing you to relax and feel completely calm throughout. With most sedation types you will have little memory of the procedure and you will leave feeling relaxed about the whole visit.
Sedation is safe when permitted by an experienced dentist, however being sedated can carry some risk due to the use of the anaesthesia if you have a existing medical condition. IV sedation may be carried out by an anaesthetist. Your Maven dentist will go over your medical history to make sure sedation is safe for you. It is important to discuss any concerns you may have with them before being sedated.
Some methods of sedation take longer periods of time to wear off completely. After being sedated you will be feeling relaxed and a bit drowsy afterwards. If you have any concerns with side effects of sedation, we suggest talking to your Maven dentist prior to sedation.