CONSCIOUS SEDATION
INTRAVENOUS SEDATION:
This modality will produce a drowsy or trance-like state, but the patient is awake and breathing on his own, unlike General Anaesthesia. Though people do not do or say "funny things", they are still able to communicate. Most notably with this technique, your memory is altered for the procedure such that the appointment will seem to last only minutes. While in the attendance of a Registered Nurse, Dental Assistant and the Dentist, the medication will be administered in the right or left arm.
In order for this technique to be employed there are certain prerequisites that must be followed:
- You must not eat or drink for four hours preoperatively or take medication unless instructed by the R.N. or Dentist.
- A short sleeved blouse or T-shirt should be worn to the appointment to facilitate the comfortable administration of the sedation modality.
- You must not wear contact lenses to the appointment.
- You must be prepared to be escorted home by a responsible adult family member or friend who can also be given any required post operative instructions either verbally or written.
PRECAUTIONS: There are potential side effects which must be mentioned.
- Amnesia almost always occurs post operatively, for varying lengths of time during the day. This is a beneficial result. For this reason you are strongly advised not to drive, operate machinery or make any legal decisions of twenty four hours.
- There may be some bruising, swelling or vein irritation at the intravenous site. Though the latter rarely occurs, these symptoms are usually transient in nature and would create only a minor inconvenience.
- Over-sedation and prolonged recovery occur in some sensitive individuals. More particularly, this may occur in those who have been taking prescribed or recreational drugs but withhold this information during the preoperative assessment. (This includes alcohol, sleeping pills, antihistamines or pain relievers).