Nervous about going to the dentist? Would you rather endure a toothache than enter a dentist’s office? You’re not alone. Kesteven Dental Care may be able to make your dental trips a relaxing, enjoyable experience!
Kesteven Dental Care offers Oral Conscious Sedation (pill form), ensuring safe, effective sedation facilitating longer appointments to complete more treatment in one sitting. With extensive training in Conscious Sedation, our team can offer you a relaxed appointment, laying in a comfortable chair with a cozy blanket, feeling and leaving calm.
What does Sedation Dentistry “look like”?
Though sedation comes in a variety of forms, ie. Inhaled, Oral or IV sedation, Kesteven Dental primarily uses oral sedation.
You will take one dose of the sedation medication before arriving, with the dental team monitoring your progress with a pulse oximeter and once you arrive, any further dosage requirements. Your breathing may slow, and your blood pressure may drop slightly, but you will not need any help breathing. Though conscious sedation is usually combined with anaesthetic to block pain during the dental procedure, patients report little to no pain. Even if they feel slight pain, it’s easily tolerable and feels more like a minor discomfort rather than the sensation we associate with pain. Our team will monitor your progress and attend to your personal needs and requirements.
One of the key benefits of Oral Sedation is, though you may fall asleep, you can respond easily to necessary instruction. However, you are relaxed throughout your entire treatment. You may feel drowsy before, during and after treatment and need someone to take you to and from your appointment. By evening, when Dr. Kesteven calls to follow up with your experience, most people remember very little of the time they spent in the dental chair. By this time, you will have already returned to your normal daily activities.
Conscious Sedation allows those with:
- anxiety,
- time constraints,
- a strong gag reflex,
- extensive treatment,
- fear of needles, instruments, dental anaesthetic or the sounds of a dental office,
- previous bad experiences
to receive cleanings, fillings, extractions, implants and more.
Before Dental Procedure:
- Follow all Pre-Op Conscious Sedation Instructions from your information sheet given to you when making your appointment. A copy of these instructions also appears in the Resources Section.
- Notify Dr. Kesteven if you might be pregnant,
- Tell Dr. Kesteven which medicines you are taking, including drugs, supplements, or herbs bought without a prescription,
- About allergies or health conditions,
- If you smoke, try to stop. Smoking increases the risk for slower healing.
Day of your Procedure:
- Continue following the Pre-Op Instructions provided to you
- Have a responsible adult drive you to and from Kesteven Dental Care
- Take the medication Dr.Kesteven requested you take with a small sip of water.
- Arrive at Kesteven Dental Care at the time outlined on your information sheet.
During the Procedure:
- You will feel sleepy
- Your finger is clipped to a pulse oximeter to check the oxygen levels in your blood.
- Your blood pressure will be monitored with an arm cuff at regular 15-minute intervals.
After the Procedure:
- Eat a healthy but soft meal to restore your energy, being careful to wait until most of the “freezing” or anaesthetic has come out.
- Do not drive, operate machinery, drink alcohol or make any legal decision for 24 hours.
- You will be able to return to your everyday activities the next day.
If you have any dental anxiety concerns, begin discussing them with the caring and professional team at Kesteven Dental Care. We will develop a treatment plan that will allay your fears, determine if oral sedation is a good choice for your comfort while allowing you to receive dental care and treatment customized to your needs.
Note: Dr. Kesteven has received his Conscious Sedation Certification from DOCS, the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation.
By Lori Kesteven
