Sedation for nervous patients

One of the most common reasons for people to neglect dental visits is purely due to fear and anxiety. Although at Reading Smiles we have a welcoming, approachable team, often dental sedation can allow you to have dental treatment without the associated anxiety.

What is sedation?

Conscious sedation is used to relax you during your dental treatment; while you are sedated you are still able to communicate and respond to simple instructions but will be in an altered state of consciousness once the sedative has been administered. Sedation medications are considered lighter and safer than general anaesthetic.

During the procedure you will be vaguely aware of your surroundings, you will feel drowsy and calm and as a result there will be no feeling of anxiety or pain.

After your procedure you may not remember much or anything from the time period you were sedated to the moment the sedative wears off.

Dental Sedation at Reading Smiles is used for patients that have certain fears such as of needles or just dental treatments in general. Some patients may have a severe gag reflex or feel they have extreme sensitivity that could make sitting still through treatment uncomfortable.

Sedation is a method of producing a relaxed experience for the patient by using sedative medications. These medications do not put you to sleep although you feel very sleepy while under sedation. It is lighter and safer than general anaesthetic.

A sedative drug is administered to make you feel like you are asleep and in a state of deep relaxation, however you are conscious and able to follow requests. This allows for fear and anxiety to be suppressed. Generally, sedation is a pleasant experience for patients, and administered by either a trained, qualified dentist or a consultant anaesthetist. As the sedative takes effect almost immediately, the dose can be well controlled by the dentist or anaesthetist to achieve the desired level of sedation.

As the drug has a short half-life, it means you can get up and walk out of the treatment room after treatment. It is essential a chaperone accompanies you and remains with you for a while after treatment. Reading Smiles has treated hundreds of patients with dental sedation and will be monitoring your blood pressure, pulse and oxygen saturations levels at the start and with the nurse throughout treatment.

We have a 100% positive feedback record with nervous patients being treated under sedation, with most advising it was extremely comfortable and they cannot recollect the time in the chair.

If you are looking to address your oral health or cosmetic appearance but have been held back through anxiety or feeling nervous may be suitable for you. We offer free consultations for treatment.

If you have been putting off dental treatment due to fear, anxiety or problems with anaesthetic, please get in touch for more information or a complimentary consultation.