Conscious Sedation for Nervous Patients

Severe Dental Anxiety? How sedation will help you to keep your teeth and gums healthy.

Many people suffer from anxiety when a dental visit is due. This even applies to some dentists that we know! There is no getting away from the fact that most people find invasive dental procedures unpleasant at the very least, yet, most people will still go through them, knowing that it simply needs to be done if their teeth and gums are to remain healthy. For some patients though, this does not always apply and there are usually two reasons why people miss appointments.

The first of these is because they don’t feel that it is important enough. This is most likely to apply to those whose teeth are in generally good condition. When we don’t notice any aches and pains, we are less likely to be concerned about our teeth. The second is the more common reason, and consists of those anxious patients from the Bromley area whose fear is simply too deeply ingrained for them to face up to the idea of a dental procedure.

Unfortunately, whilst we appreciate the difficulty of this situation, the reality is that it will mean dental issues become worse, resulting in a possibly more uncomfortable procedure being needed in the future.

Conscious Sedation

At the Smile Dental Practice of Bromley, we offer even the most anxious dental patient a way to have their teeth treated without the anxiety, and sometimes panic, that goes with it. Whether taken as a small tablet, or intravenously administered, conscious sedation is both fast acting and highly effective.

Unlike full sedation where the patient is unconscious, this method allows the patient to remain awake but in a highly relaxed state. This also helps to ensure that the procedure is carried out successfully as the dentist may require you to answer questions pertinent to the procedure. Many of our patients have also stated that they found time seemed to pass very quickly whilst using this method. In effect you may feel like you have been asleep, hence why this treatment is sometimes called “sleep dentistry”.

Side effects

There are no long term side effects with conscious sedation, although of course, we do ask that you mention any medical conditions that you might have. You will find though, that you feel a little ‘woozy’ for a while and should certainly not drive or operate machinery. Where possible, we would also suggest that you take a little time from work to allow the sedation to work its way from your system.

If you have any questions about conscious sedation, please call the Smile Dental Practice on 020 8462 2473.