Alternative sedation.
With all the bad publicity received on the use of general anaesthesia in the dental practice, a safer more predictable means of treating the dento-phobic patient had to be found. It was found that the most suitable way was to keep the patient conscious but sedated enough to remove all fears of impending treatment.
This is more amenable to the patient who has a phobia of dental treatment. This includes patients who are needle-phobic, and the patient who finds certain aspects of dental treatment so stressful that it prevents them attending for routine dental treatment. Conscious sedation involves the use of a sedative drug that, although it sedates the patient, allows the patient at all times to remain conscious and be able to communicate with the Sedationist/Dentist.
Feel calm about treatment.
Intravenous conscious sedation is the introduction of the sedative via an intravenous route just before dental treatment commences. This is similar to the way a “drip” is used in hospital. The preferred site is the back of the hand or sometimes the inside of the elbow.
Please note, that this service is not available on the NHS as we are not contracted to provide it.
Commonly asked questions…
Who can benefit from this treatment?
Sedation helps patients who are extremely nervous or anxious about dental treatment. Patients with history of cardiac problems might benefit as it reduces stress during treatment.
Is it Safe?
Sedation is safe provided it is carried out by a suitably qualified and experienced person. All monitoring equipment should be at hand as well as all resuscitation equipment. We at The Smile Centre keep the patient monitored at all times with a Pulse-Oxymeter which monitors the patients’ heart rate, oxygen concentration of the blood as well as the blood pressure.
Is it not suitable for anyone?
Sedation is not suitable for young children. People suffering from serious ill-health should have sedation done in a hospital setting. Conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, allergies (In isolation) are not aggravated by sedation – in fact reducing the stress might even be helpful.
Who is qualified to carry it out?
Dentists who feel the need for such treatments in their practices, attend training through recognised training facilities. This then allows them to offer it to suitable patients within the confines of their own practices.
Fortunately, we at The Smile Centre can call on the services of Mr Ben Omovie to perform intravenous sedation.
What does it feel like have Intra-venous Sedation?
It has been described as having the good time of over-indulging in alcohol, and not having a hang-over. It must be stressed that sedation does not control pain. This is done by local anaesthetic but only after the patient is adequately sedated. After the sedation, patients might feel slightly drowsy and wish to sleep. Amnesia, some say, is one of the benefits of the procedure because one tends not to remember much of what happened and thus there is no need to fear the procedures of dentistry.
What are the drawbacks?
Sedation can be quite costly. Please speak to our practice manager, or get in contact, for more information and a estimate of costs.
Please note: This service is not available on the NHS as we are not contracted to provide it.