Conscious Sedation in Dentistry

Conscious Sedation in Dentistry

• Exclusive Sedation Provider: The only dental practice in the region offering sedation for enhanced patient comfort.

Types Available: Options include Inhalation Sedation (Gas and Air) or Intravenous (IV) Sedation.

Benefits of Conscious Sedation

• Reduces Anxiety: Helps patients stay calm and relaxed during dental procedures.

• Maintains Awareness: Patients remain awake and responsive but are deeply relaxed.

• Enhanced Comfort: Ideal for lengthy, complex treatments or for those with severe dental anxiety.

• Experienced Providers: Administered by trained professionals for safe, controlled sedation.

• Gag Reflex Management: Helps suppress overactive gag reflex, improving comfort during treatment.

• Quick Recovery: Sedation effects wear off relatively quickly, allowing a shorter recovery time

MQ INSTITUTE

Conscious Sedation Using Intravenous (IV) Midazolam

Information and Consent for Patients

What is Conscious sedation?

Conscious sedation using IV Midazolam is a technique to reduce your anxiety about dental treatment whilst keeping you conscious at all times.

Is it like having a General Anaesthetic (GA)?

1. At no time will you be unconscious but you may fall asleep as you become more relaxed.

Why can’t I have a GA?

GA have not been permitted in Dental Practices since 1998. There is very little justification for performing GA for dental work when IV sedation works so well.

What is “IV” Midazolam?

IV stands for Intravenous and means that the drugs is delivered into a vein using a special device. This involves a needle at the start but once in the vein, the needle is removed and not used again.

Midazolam is the drug used and is a modern relative of Valium. It has been used successfully since 1986 and is the drug of choice for Dental Sedation.

What will happen when I have sedation?

When it is time for your sedation appointment you will be taken into the surgery and sat in the dental chair. Your medical history will then be re-checked and your blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen content of your blood will be measured. This is to ensure precise monitoring of your health throughout the sedation.

The IV device will then be placed into your arm and the Midazolam slowly administered. As this happens you will slowly begin to feel more relaxed and sleepy. Some patients describe this as like having a feeling of absolute relaxation. Once your dentist is satisfied that you are adequately sedated, the procedure will begin.

How will I feel afterwards?

Most people feel a little sleepy for a few hours, which is why you and your escort are given detailed instructions on what you should not do for 12 hours afterwards. You probably won’t remember the dental work being carried out and of course means that you should not make any important decisions during this time. The vast majority of patients are fully recovered 12 hours after their sedation.

Are there any dangers associated with IV sedation?

The method, which we will use to sedate you, is designed to minimize any potential problems and will make this a very safe procedure. Your blood-oxygen level is constantly monitored so that we can prompt you to take a deep breath if you are over relaxed. In the unlikely event that you ignore our requests to breathe and your blood-oxygen level continues to drop, we simply administer a reversal drug which immediately brings you out of the sedation.

Are there any other types of sedation available instead of IV Midazolam?

There are some other forms of sedation that are

• Oral sedation with a tablet

• Relative Analgesia with Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas)

If you still have any questions about having IV sedation then please ask us. It is vitally important that you understand everything that will happen and have no doubts beforehand.

This is an essential part of you consenting to undergo this treatment and we need to be 100% sure that you are 100% sure.