Our Richmond dentists understand that visiting the dentist can cause extreme anxiety and fear for many patients. At Saba Road Dental Center, we offer oral conscious sedation to help patients experiencing dental anxiety receive the treatment they need and deserve.
Our goal at Saba Road Dental Center is to help each patient feel comfortable and relaxed — regardless of the reason they’ve booked an appointment. If you fear attending the dentist or suffer from heightened oral sensitivity, we may recommend oral conscious sedation to help make your dental appointment a more comfortable, stress-free experience. With dental sedation, patients can get the treatment they need but may otherwise skip due to anxiety and fear.
What is oral conscious sedation?
Your dentist can prescribe oral conscious sedation in pill or liquid form, to be taken before you arrive at your dentist’s office. These sedation medications can be taken the night before your appointment to help you sleep, or one hour before your appointment to help you feel calm and relaxed from the time you come into our Richmond dental clinic.
This form of dental sedation lasts long enough to help anxious patients get through most dental procedures without stress, and leave our office feeling that their dental experience has been positive.
How will oral conscious sedation make me feel?
Just after taking the medication, you will start to feel calm and at ease. This feeling will last for the duration of your dental appointment. While oral conscious sedation will not put you to sleep, you will remain awake but calm during your procedure. You’ll be fully able to speak normally. However, many patients who take oral conscious sedation before dental appointments actually become so relaxed that they fall asleep during the procedure.
Oral conscious sedation is considered safe for most healthy patients, but it’s critical to remember that patients’ needs differ. Our dentists make decisions on how dental sedation should be used on a case-by-case basis. If you think that you could benefit from oral conscious sedation, discuss this with your dentist.
If you are booked to undergo dental treatment with the help of oral conscious sedation, it’s imperative to arrange for someone to bring you home following your treatment. You will not be able to drive after your sedation appointment.
