At ProActive Dental Studio, our dentists provide treatment under oral sedation for our patients who feel anxious or nervous about visiting the dentist. Here’s how the oral sedation process works.
Oral Sedation, depending on the dosage, can have a minimal to moderate effect. With minimal sedation, you'll take a pill (usually Halcion, similar to Valium) about an hour before your dental procedure. With this dosage, you'll still be fully conscious, thought slightly drowsy.
Moderate sedation, which is more common used in dentistry, requires a larger dose that makes you feel groggy enough to fall asleep during the procedure.
Depending on your needs (which your dentist will discuss with you in detail before the procedure), a variety of single or incremental dose protocols may be used as early as a full day before the dental appointment.
Benefits of Oral Sedatives
Oral sedatives reduce anxiety in patients, and also allow procedures to be performed in fewer appointments and in less overall time. They can increase the comfort and efficiency of dental procedures.
What is the oral sedation process like?
At your consultation appointment, your dentist will discuss your needs and concerns of your upcoming procedure. You get to go over your medical history and lifestyle habits (such as if you smoke, drink alcohol regularly, or take any vitamins).
Based on the data from this consultation, your dentist will give you a prescription of sedatives to be taken up to a full day before your appointment, or as little as an hour before or both.
On the day of your appointment, you must have a friend or family member drive you to and from our office as you should never drive while under the effects of a sedative.
During your procedure, our dentists will monitor you carefully to make sure you continue to feel comfortable and relaxed.
After your appointment, your chaperone should drive you straight back home. We recommend you take the rest of the day off of work or school, and that you do not operate any heavy machinery for the next 24 hours.
After your appointment, be sure to drink lots of fluids. Most patients feel no side effects a day after their appointment, and are able to return to their normal daily routines.