Understanding Oral Conscious Sedation

Oral conscious sedation – What is it?

Oral conscious sedation helps you receive your dental treatment when you are extremely anxious or nervous about visiting the dental clinic. It helps make your trip to the dentist less stressful. It is especially helpful to individuals with moderate to severe dental anxiety. For conscious oral sedation in Okotoks, visit your nearest dental clinic today. 

Oral conscious sedation is a medication prescribed to you by your dentist to help you feel calmer and relax when you go in for your dental checkups or dental treatments. It helps patients with dental anxiety and who are nervous get through most of the common dental procedures. 

What effect does oral conscious sedation have on an individual?

Oral conscious sedation helps an anxious or nervous patient to remain calm and feel at ease throughout a dental procedure. The individual remains conscious but will be relaxed and feel no pain. Sometimes, patients are so relaxed from oral conscious sedation that they fall asleep during the dental procedure.

In most cases, oral conscious sedation is safe for many healthy individuals. However, oral sedation is administered by a dentist in Okotoks depending on an individual’s requirement. It varies from person to person and case to case. An individual must submit their complete medical history to their dentist before receiving any dental treatment. It helps the dentist know beforehand if you may have an allergic reaction to the sedation.

After you are done with your dental procedure, it is advised to arrange for a member of your family or a friend to drive you back home. You cannot drive back after your dental procedure. You may be conscious, but you will still feel slight effects of the sedation.

What are the steps involved in oral conscious sedation? 

Although the process of administering oral conscious sedation differs from procedure to procedure – here’s what you can expect from a general procedure.

      #1. The dentist will either make you sit on a chair or lie down on a table. If you are getting a colonoscopy or an endoscopy, you may have to change into a hospital gown. If you are getting an endoscopy, you will have to lay on your side. 

      #2. Your dentist will administer your sedative through either an IV line, an oral tablet, or a facial mask. The facial mask is made to inhale the sedative.

      #3. You’ll have to wait until the sedative comes into effect. It may take up to an hour before the sedative can kick in, and the individual can feel its effects. Sedatives administered through IV can begin to work in a few minutes, but oral sedative can take about 30 – 60 minutes. 

      #4. Your doctor will keep a check on your heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure. In case your breathing becomes shallow, you may require the support of an oxygen mask. It will help you to breathe consistently and stabilize your blood pressure.

     #5. Your doctor will start your procedure after your sedative has kicked in. For a simple procedure, you will be sedated for no longer than 30 minutes depending on what the procedure is. For a more complex procedure, you may be sedated for several hours.

An individual may have to ask for oral conscious sedation to receive it. It is true especially for dental procedures like – dental root canals, dental fillings, or dental crown replacements. Typically, dentists use local numbing agents that is why you may have to request oral conscious sedation. Visit a dentist near you today to learn more about oral conscious sedation.

For more information on oral conscious sedation near you, visit a dental clinic near you today.