Sedation & Relaxation

If fear and anxiety is preventing you from attaining the oral health you need, sedation dentistry can help you to feel more relaxed and comfortable during your dental visit at Aria Dental. While many individuals will qualify for dental sedation, not all people are candidates for it.

A consultation with Dr. Horiyat before any treatment is necessary to thoroughly assess your current health status, medical history, medications, and dental treatment concerns. This dental consultation can assure you if you are indeed a good candidate for sedation and the most suitable sedation method.

In general, the patients are so relaxed and comfortable that do not feel any pain or discomfort with any of our sedation methods. However, our doctors are constantly monitoring the patient to make sure desired and adequate level of sedation is provided.

The effect of sedation on each person is different based on many factors, including the type of sedation you receive. Oral sedation method usually last anywhere from two to eight hours after procedure, but full recovery from the effects of the sedation can take up to 24 hours. Thus, we recommend no driving, machinery

Virtually all forms of medications, including oral sedatives or IV sedations, have some risks and possible side effects.  Pain medication or sedative agents can, among other things, alter a patient’s judgment and work performance, and the patient should plan accordingly.

The most common side effects are hiccups and possibly dry mouth. If you manifest any of these symptoms, you will most likely not remember them after the sedation effects are gone.

Occasionally the patient may experience allergic, idiosyncratic, or paradoxical reactions to the sedative and can be prevented by thoroughly reviewing your medical history of the patient before their treatment appointment, in these cases, an alternative medication or sedation method may be used.

With anxiolysis, the patient may experience relaxation or drowsiness, a reduced sense of fear or anxiety, increased tolerance to discomfort, an altered perception of time, tingling sensations, giddiness, or lightheadedness, clumsiness, or unsteadiness, nausea, hallucinations, or dreams. Less common side effects include blurred vision, memory loss (which many people deem desirable for dental treatment), or “rebound insomnia’” for several days.

We would always advise you to have a someone drive and stay with you after oral conscious sedation and IV sedation; we also advise avoid any machinery activities or any tasks that are involved with cognitive thinking. However, these restrictions do not apply with nitrous oxide sedation, you may be able to drive afterward.

If you are considering sedation dentistry or would like to learn about the benefits of sedation techniques, please schedule a consultation with Dr. Horiyat or call our office today.