One of my passions is helping all patients, including those who are more fearful of the dentist. A great tool that we offer is oral conscious sedation. If you are not quite as relaxed as the model in the photo, it may be a great option for your next treatment.
Oral sedation is administered 90 minutes prior to the appointment. We prescribe a medication that is also used for patients who have narcolepsy (trouble sleeping) so one of the effects is that you may fall asleep. You are still conscious in that you can breathe on your own and you may remember what is going on, but the medication helps you to relax and make it through the procedure. One thing to note is that you will need someone to drive you to and from your appointment. We like to utilize a wheelchair as well to get you safely in and out of the office.
As an IV sedation provider also, I can attest that there are some patients who are just as sedated with the oral medication as the IV, however results vary as each individual reacts differently to medications. There are certain patients who may not be a candidate for oral sedation. If you already take medicine for anxiety or depression in the benzodiazepine class, the medication will not be effective as those medicines use the same receptors as our oral sedation. Due to lack of enzymes available to process the sedation medicine, you would most likely not be effected.
If you would like to know more about how to make your next visit more comfortable with oral sedation, please let us know!