UTILISING CALMING TECHNIQUES
FOR PHOBIC PATIENTS
THE ART & SCIENCE OF CALM DENTISTRY
- Intravenous Sedation For Nervous Patients
- Techniques to reduce pain from injections
- Distraction techniques To Improve Patient Experience
- Use of Headphones With Relaxing Music To Calm Patients During Treatment
Cosmetic Dentistry
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Utilising Conscious Intravenous Sedation And Various Other Methods For A Relaxed Experience
Tailored Treatment Plans To Suit Every Individual
Complimentary Video Consultation From The Convenience Of Your Home
Intravenous sedation involves giving you an injection of a sedative drug through a plastic tube into a vein in your arm or hand. The sedative drug will relax you and make you feel sleepy during your treatment.
Once you are sedated, you will be given a local anaesthetic injection which will numb the area we are working on. This is not a general anaesthetic that puts you to sleep. However, many people do not remember anything about their treatment.
If you are a nervous or phobic patient this will positively improve your experience and calm your nerves for future dental visits.
Intravenous sedation involves giving you an injection of a sedative drug through a plastic tube into a vein in your arm or hand. The sedative drug will relax you and make you feel sleepy during your treatment.
Once you are sedated, you will be given a local anaesthetic injection which will numb the area we are working on. This is not a general anaesthetic that puts you to sleep. However, many people do not remember anything about their treatment.
If you are a nervous or phobic patient this will positively improve your experience and calm your nerves for future dental visits.
Sedation helps you cope with dental treatment and reduce your anxiety especially if you have a phobia towards dental treatments. However, even people who do not feel anxious about dental treatment choose to have sedation for some complex procedures.
Intravenous sedation is extremely safe. Having said this, no procedure is perfectly safe and iv sedation can slow down your breathing. We overcome this risk by monitoring you closely and giving you oxygen (through a mask) if needed.
Another possible complication is bruising to your hand or arm after the injection, but this should only last a few days.
The alternatives to this type of sedation are inhalation sedation, a local anaesthetic (with no sedation) or a general anaesthetic.
Inhalation sedation involves breathing a sedative gas to relax you and make you feel calm and relaxed during your treatment.
Treatment under a local anaesthetic will involve an injection into the gum. There will be no pain but you will be conscious during treatment.
A general anaesthetic is medicine that causes you to be temporarily unconscious (asleep), so you do not feel anything during the procedure. There are more risks with having a general anaesthetic and therefore is reserved for people who are unable to cope with treatment under sedation due to disability or who need a great deal of treatment.
You must have a responsible adult (escort) to accompany you home after your treatment and stay with you at least until that evening.
Do try to arrive early for your appointment. It is not necessary to stop eating (fast) before sedation and we recommend that you have a light meal before your appointment.
If you have children, you will need to arrange help with looking after them until the following day.
The dentist will explain the planned treatment and check that you understand what’s going to happen. The dental nurse will take your blood pressure.
You will be asked to lie back in the dental chair and have a small plastic tube (cannula) placed in your arm or hand. The dentist will then give the sedation slowly through this tube and encourage you to relax. The dental team will monitor your breathing throughout treatment.
Your dentist will give you an injection of local anaesthetic to numb the area where you will be having treatment. You might feel a slight stinging sensation while having the local anaesthetic but then the area should feel numb. We will do our best to make sure you feel as comfortable as possible during the procedure.
At the end of treatment we will walk you to the recovery area where your accompanying person will be waiting. You will still feel sleepy and many people feel unsteady and forgetful. For these reasons you will not be able to leave until you have been checked by the dentist or dental nurse.
Most people spend about 30 minutes in the recovery area. The plastic tube will remain in your hand or arm until you are fit to leave.
For your safety, it is important that you follow the advice given below. Although you might feel fine, your reasoning, reflexes, judgement, coordination and skill can be affected by the sedation until the next day.
Please rest at home until the following day. During this time you should not:
- drive any vehicle or ride a bicycle
- operate any machinery, including domestic appliances
- attempt to cook, use sharp utensils or pour hot or boiling liquids
- drink alcohol or smoke
- take sleeping tablets
- make any important decisions or sign any contracts
- use the internet
• be responsible for children or other dependants.
If you need a follow-up appointment, your dentist or dental nurse will let you know. You will either be given another appointment by our reception team.