What Happens During Dental Sedation?

Dental sedation is very different to the type of sedation you might have during a surgical procedure in the hospital. Dental sedation is often referred to as oral conscious sedation. It’s often delivered as a pill, but occasionally as an IV injection. You’ll be awake and conscious throughout, but you’ll feel very relaxed and calm which makes it a great option for nervous dental patients.

In this short guide, we’re breaking down what you can expect during dental sedation so you can decide if this is the right option for you.

Dental sedation explained

Dental sedation is growing in popularity as a way to make dental procedures feel less daunting. Whether you have a dental phobia, a strong gag reflex, or you just don’t like the idea of a very long procedure, dental sedation can help.

You’re not unconscious like you would be for a surgical procedure in the hospital. You’re still awake and conscious, so you can respond to questions from your dentist. Most patients feel very relaxed, and some may even drop off to sleep naturally.

Another benefit of dental sedation is that you won’t form memories of the procedure, which is great if you are trying to work through a dental phobia. Time seems to slip by much faster, so very long procedures can feel very quick.

What happens before dental sedation?

You’ll need to arrive at the practice a little earlier than usual to start your treatment. You’ll be given a pill to swallow, and then you can sit in the waiting area to allow this to take effect. You’ll notice any feelings of fear start to subside and you’ll feel very relaxed.

An important thing to note is that you’ll still be numb during your procedure. This doesn’t impact the local anaesthetic that we administer to your gums to help numb the area.

What happens during dental sedation?

Once the effects have taken hold, we’ll start the dental procedure as usual. You will likely feel very relaxed throughout, and some patients even find that they are able to nod off to sleep during longer procedures like dental implants. If you do fall asleep, we’ll be able to wake you easily with a tap on the shoulder.

During the twilight state brought on by dental sedation, time often goes by very quickly, and you won’t form new memories of the procedure. This can be an essential part of tackling a dental phobia that has formed due to a bad past experience. By building up positive experiences in the dentist’s chair, you can start to rewrite your phobias.

At the end of your procedure, you are likely to still be feeling the effects of your dental sedation. We invite you to take a moment to sit quietly before going home. You’ll need someone to escort you home and stay with you, as you won’t be able to drive or take public transport alone.

What happens after dental sedation?

The sedation typically takes around 12-24 hours to completely wear off. Many patients will want to go home and sleep off the sedation. It’s a good idea to wait until you are feeling more alert before you start eating again, but try to stay hydrated during this time.

You might experience a dry mouth, nausea and a slight headache as the sedation starts to wear off. At the same time, your anaesthetic will also start to wear off, so you should be prepared to manage your pain with over the counter pain medication.

Speak to your dentist if you think dental sedation could help you during your next dental procedure.