Anxious Patients

It is a light form of sedation that can be very effective at reducing the feeling of anxiety during dental treatment. A mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen is given through a nosepiece until you feel relaxed enough to accept treatment.

Nitrous oxide provides a bit of pain relief as well as reducing anxiety, however this is not normally enough to complete dental treatment comfortably. Local anaesthetic is usually still required, however we can use numbing cream first so that the injection is as comfortable as possible.

Inhalation sedation will be effective for most people with mild dental anxiety. However, it relies on the person receiving the sedation being able to breathe well through their nose, any blockages or congestion will mean that the gas is not as well absorbed and so the sedation will not be effective.

We cannot treat pregnant people with inhalation sedation due to potentially adverse effects to the developing baby. It is important that you fill out our medical history forms so that we can identify any other conditions that may affect you being able to receive nitrous oxide safely.

We find that dental treatment with inhalation sedation is very useful for children who need to have teeth removed and for adults with mild dental anxiety or with medical conditions made worse by stressful situations such as heart disease, asthma or epilepsy

There are very few side effects from nitrous oxide, most people feel completely normal once the treatment has finished. Occasionally you may experience a slight headache or nausea.

Sedation with nitrous oxide feels slightly different for everyone. Common sensations include, feeling relaxed, warm, heavy, ‘floaty’, drowsy but not asleep, tingling in the hands and feet.

The nitrous oxide is given to you gradually at the start of the appointment and takes a few minutes to take effect. It is given to you continuously throughout your treatment and will be most effective if you are breathing well. We turn off the nitrous oxide once your treatment is complete and give you oxygen for five minutes to ensure that the nitrous oxide is no longer in your system. The total length of time will depend on what treatment you are having but is typically between 10-30 minutes.

This is not necessary but you can if you like. Children should always be accompanied by a responsible adult.

We will give you specific advice at the end of your appointment depending on what kind of treatment you have had. We will check that it is safe for you to leave the clinic, however we advise caution for the rest of the day when operating machinery, using social media or signing legal documents.

This is a heavier form of conscious sedation. You will need to have a small cannula (needle) placed into a vein either in your hand or arm in order for us to give you the drug (Midazolam). The drug is given to you gradually until you are relaxed enough to accept dental treatment.

Yes. For most dental treatment, although you will feel very relaxed, the sedative drug will not provide you with enough pain relief for us to complete treatment for you comfortably. Local anaesthetic is usually still required, however we can use numbing cream first so that the injection is as comfortable as possible.

It is particularly effective for adults (over 18 years old) who experience moderate to severe dental anxiety. There are some medical conditions where IV Sedation is not appropriate, it is important that you fill out our medical history forms so that we can ensure that you are treated safely.

The main side effect is that it can cause you to breathe less frequently whilst you are sedated. This can result in less oxygen in your blood stream, we are prepared for this and will monitor your blood oxygen throughout the procedure. We may remind you to take deep breaths to ensure that you are maintaining your oxygen saturation.

As with any drug, you may be allergic to it, for Midazolam this is rare, however it is important that you let us know whether you (or a blood relative) had any issues in the past with sedation or general anaesthetic.

Midazolam has an amnesic effect which means that after the procedure, most people have no memory of what has happened. This may make you think that you’ve been completely asleep, but you haven’t. IVS is a form of conscious sedation so you will be very relaxed but can communicate with us throughout.

There may be a bruise in the area where the cannula was inserted and them removed.

You will usually feel very relaxed and a bit sleepy. It can feel very similar to having a few alcoholic drinks.

Midazolam acts within a few minutes of being administered to the blood stream. The length of time that the whole process takes depends on the treatment you are having done, typically this is between 10-30 minutes. We will need to keep you in the clinic for a further 30 minutes after the last dose of drug was given to ensure that it is safe for you to leave.

Yes, after receiving Midazolam your judgement will be impaired and you will not be able to leave alone. You may be unsteady on your feet and so the person with you should be able to support you physically to assist you getting into a car or taxi. You will not be able to drive yourself.

Yes, it can take up to 24 hours for the drug to leave your system and your judgement can be impaired for that length of time. For that reason, during this time you will not be able to drive, operate machinery, sign legal documents, use the internet for communication(including social media) or make any irreversible decisions.

A responsible able bodied adult should be with you from the end of your appointment until the following day. If this is not possible then we will not be able to provide treatment for you. If you care for other people, you will need to make alternative care arrangements for them until the sedation wears off.