Was I inappropriate to request this from my dentist?

The reason is legal consent.

A legal guardian has to be present for a child to provide ongoing consent to treatment as children do not have legal capacity.

If an adult with mental capacity has given written consent to the procedure then they don't need another adult present to provide ongoing consent.

Yes if you are being sedated then there has to be be someone there responsible for monitoring that.

It will be a minimum of two people in the room already, and three if it's IV sedation.

Bringing in unnecessary people gets in the way and increases risk. I would understand if there was only the dentist in the room but that's not the case.

If a parent would be allowed to stay with their child, then there is no good reason why your husband couldn’t stay with you. If your dentist is saying no, that would make me suspicious

I was sedated for dental treatment not that long ago and in addition to the dentist there was a dental nurse and and the person administering the sedation. It was a very crowded room! My partner was brought in as soon as I came round

You know the dentist won't be the only person in the room right?

Is your hygienist female?

I’ve never been to a dentist without a dental nurse being present. That should be enough. You won’t be alone.

They should always offer a female chaperone when you’re under anaesthetic/sedated
Did they offer that? It’s weird if they didn’t and didn’t want your DH there

If its sedation in an actual dental practice you won't be very heavily sedated, and there will be 2 nurses present at all times. You won't be alone, sedated with the dentist.

Your DH can usually be with you up to the point of sedation but family members usually leave at the point you are sedated because essentially onlookers tend to get in the way/faint and its an additional thing the dentist has to concentrate on.

Why is a hygienist different from a dentist?

I have always had a dental nurse in with me for a dentist visit but never had anyone in with me for a hygienist visit.

I have never thought of this before!

This is outing but I worked for the largest dental provider in Europe and when I worked there we had a case where a dentist made the news because of what he did to children alone in the surgery.
It wasn’t unreasonable to ask, and you shouldn’t have been made to feel that way. Dentist isn’t unreasonable saying no but should validate your feelings.

I have no idea if this would or should be allowed OP but I don’t think asking is unreasonable.

given the well documented experience of women throughout time immemorial it is not difficult to wonder why a female patient might request this and some of the aggressive responses on this thread are more disturbing to me than your question.

YABU because there will be at least one dental nurse in the room as well.

Presuming there is another member of staff in the room, you are being unreasonable. I have never been to see a dentist when there hadn't been a dental nurse present and more than one when I had sedation.

I had a tooth extraction under 'conscious sedation' last December, there was a specially trained sedation nurse there all the time (as well as a trainee nurse). As far as I know a nurse has to be present at all times to observe the patient, keep an eye on the drip, etc, whilst the dentist is doing what they need to do with your teeth. Just like how an anaesthetist is always with a surgeon at a hospital operation. You do have to ask someone to drive you home. I have dental phobia but can hugely recommend it as a positive experience, although it is expensive!

I had a large tooth extracted. I wasn't sedated. There was a Dental Nurse present and someone I'd brought with me for support. The Dentist had no problem with it.

Your husband can stay until the cannula is in and the first increment of sedation is in and then he must sit in the waiting room. The dentist doing IVS will have 2 dental nurses in with them throughout. One chair side and one sedation side. Your husband can come back in at the end of the procedure when you’re in recovery phase.
It’s then equivalent of GA and theatres. No need to look at you strangely, this could have been explained to you like this at your assessment appointment.

My daughter recently had sedated dental work done and honestly this was my only fear. We as a society put women in extremely vulnerable positions and are just supposed to stay silent.

Even the presence of a nurse is no real guarantee. First, the nurse may be male. Second, the nurse may be complicit after years of pressure.

A dental nurse will be there too, so probably why they looked at you strangely.

I rejoined MN just to say that I have been alone with my male dentist many times.

I have no idea what the handmaids tale reference is about.

Op I suggest you see a female dentist.

I had to have dental surgery, hospital not dentist's, my DH came in with me and sat beside me for the whole procedure - we just said "is that OK?" when we went in and the surgeon said "Of course" It wasn't an issue in any way.

Would your Dh like to see you having the proceedure done ? It's not pleasant.

I think it depends what the OP is actually having done. I was sedated for a particularly problematic wisdom tooth removal and it was done in a sterile operating theatre, not in the dentist's chair.

But yes, certainly if the work's being done in the dentist's chair in their normal surgery, the OP should be allowed to have someone with her.

You are allowed to request it.

but yes, it is odd.

Your DH might not enjoy watching the dentist hammering at one of your teeth. What happens if your DH passes out?