Conscious sedation

What is conscious sedation

It is important that the patient feels comfortable during the dental treatment: he must feel comfortable and not feel pain while remaining conscientious, so that he can colaborate with the dentist.

Conscious sedation is the ideal solution for all those who suffer from the so-called “dentist fear”, especially children. It is a controlled, safe and effective way that allows the patient to overcome stress and the dentist can work calmly.

The way of application

Before the sedation the technician responsible for the procedure checks the patient’s medical history and describes the procedure. The patient remains awake and consenting. Conscious sedation does not interfere in a negative way on the vital systems, rather the absence of emotional stress.

Why is it called conscious sedation?

This type of sedation is called "conscious" because it allows the patient to be awake, minimizing the anxiety. Concious sedation is a technique that in combination with local anesthesia performed by the dentist allows you to face the surgery without feeling pain and fear.

What are the effects on the patient with this sedative technique?

The sedation under local anesthesia will not cause any physical discomfort to the patient. Thanks to the sedative effects, the patient will feel relaxed and calm and will be able to actively collaborate with the dentist, closing or opening the mouth or moving the head when necessary. Staying in a dentist’s chair for a long time, keeping the mouth wide open may be annoying and cause anxiety, but using local anesthesia, that will no longer be a problem.

Contraindications

There are no contraindications using this method of sedation. The anesthesiologist will evaluate individually adjusting the dose of the drugs according to the patient . The patient’s obligation is to to communicate to the medical staff if he suffers from allergies or intolerances to particular drugs.

Immediately after

After the surgery is highly recommended resting. The patient should avoid getting behind the wheel of a vehicle: the anxiolytic and pain-relieving drugs, still in the bloodstream could affect the capability to drive safely.

In the following hours

Before the intervention, the patient receives pain medication and / or antibiotics in order to avoid the possible inflammation and post-operative pain. At the end of the operation, the anesthesiologist, in case the patient feels pain, will recommend anti-inflammatory drugs which will be taken at regular intervals (for example every 8/12 hours).