Relieving dental anxiety in Birmingham
Eliminate dental fear with conscious dental sedation.
Discover the benefits of dental sedation
Dental care for nervous patients
Nervous patients are extremely welcome at Sheldon Dental Centre, and we’ve put in place a range of methods to help with dental anxiety. It’s understandable that you might avoid coming in for check-ups and treatments if you’ve had a bad experience at the dentist in the past – but rest assured that today’s dentistry is a world away from what it was even a decade ago. Thanks to advances in technology, treatments are less invasive, and pain relief is more accurate and efficient, than ever before.
IV sedation in Birmingham
IV sedation offers patients an alternative to local anaesthetic. Also known as conscious sedation, IV sedation combines sedative, to make you relaxed and drowsy, with analgesic (painkiller) and anaesthetic. The combined effect of these three elements allows patients to begin their treatment in an induced state of relaxation, and end it with very little memory of the procedure.
FAQs
How is IV sedation different to general or local anaesthetic?
Conscious sedation bridges the divide between local and general anaesthetic. You won’t be completely unconscious, as with a general, but you’ll be in a state of deep, sleepy relaxation that means you’ll have very little awareness or memory of your dental procedure. The dentist will, however, be able to rouse you if required, to answer questions, for example.
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If I’m conscious, won’t I will still feel anxiety about my treatment?
No. The drugs used for conscious sedation induce a state of deep relaxation. Patients generally feel as though they’re sleeping. Conscious sedation also has an amnesiac effect, so patients rarely remember anything about their dental procedure and believe they slept through it all.
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How long does it take for the effects to wear off?
In most cases the dentist will ensure you spend up 30 minutes in recovery after your procedure. The full effects of conscious sedation take 24 hours to wear off, so you’ll likely feel groggy for a time and you’ll need to arrange for an escort to drive you home and for someone to be with you at home until the effects have worn off. You won’t be able to operate electrical machinery, cook, use sharp implements or make any critical decisions during this time.
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