Sedation for dental treatment - what to expect?

[Dancergirl]

After a long struggle with severe dental phobia, 17 year old dd has been seen by the special care/sedation team at Guy's Hospital. We now need to make an appointment for her to have her teeth checked and cleaned under sedation.

They have explained the process to her but if anyone has had it, can they tell me how they found it? Dd is worried about how she will feel afterwards and also the removal of the needle from her hand after she has come round.

She'll be very sleepy afterwards from what I remember.

Is it like a general anaesthetic where you feel sick afterwards?

It is fabulous!!! I've had it three times, nothing at all to worry about, you're not asleep but you just don't remember a thing, it's like nothing happened, little bit woozy, not sick, it's the best thing ever in my opinion

She won’t remember anything of the procedures, and probably not much of the entire day in my experience.

She’ll probably sleep for much of the day and it doesn’t make me feel sick at all.

the removal of the needle from her hand after she has come round.

There won't be a needle in her hand when she comes round, it will be a tiny plastic tube. Basically the tiny needle that goes into your vein is surrounded by a tube. Once the needle is in, it is immediately removed leaving the tube behind, which is used to administer the drugs. She should barely feel it coming out.

Thank you all, so I should write off the rest of the day? Will she be ok to walk to the tube station or should I arrange another method of transport?

I was told I'd need a lift, was a bit unsteady on my feet but felt fine, totally back to normal in a couple of hours

I had concious sedation for wisdom teeth removal, really quick and trauma free. My husband drove me home though and I did sleep for a couple of hours when I got home.

I have severe dental phobia and have to be sedated for anything. The worst bit is having the needle put in my hand (hate needles too), start to feel a bit weird, then the next thing I know I'm usually at home. According to my DSis who usually takes me, I'm pretty lucid afterwards but I remember nothing and keep repeating the same questions etc.

I've never known or remembered what happens regarding the sedation once I've had it injected at the start.

I can now go to the dentist without major anxiety, as I know that if anything needs doing I won't remember a thing about it afterwards.

Ye right off rest of the day. She shouldn't even be boiling a kettle or doing anything responsible for 24 hrs. I would get alternative transport if possible. The hosp should give you post op instructions before your appointment.

And yes, you should really write off the rest of the day. They do usually advise there being an adult in attendance overnight after sedation just in case, and though I'm "with it" and fine after a couple of hours many people take longer to become fully recovered.

Definitely write off the rest of the day, and possibly the next day.

I’ve found I’m woozy, wobbly on my feet and a bit weird for at least the rest of the day after sedation.

We were told I shouldn’t be left alone at all as I wasn’t safe.

I did walk back to a tube station with DH, but apparently he had to hold onto my arm and steer me as I was walking into roads without looking.

I didn’t feel sick afterwards, just like being drunk and dizzy.

I had hypnoval for removal of impacted wisdom tooth over 20 years ago. Done at the dentist, not hospital. Just recall it being like an injection into the vein, no bag of fluid like an IV. Just fell asleep. Woke later, walked out of the surgery, but not alert and with it enough to drive. No nausea or vomiting. Even if she does have a cannula inserted, they do not hurt when they are removed. Easy peasy. Do reassure her!

Should also say I was back to my normal self within a few hours.

I had sedation at Guy's. The best thing I can liken it to is having a day off from my life!

I had wisdom teeth removed and it was totally, absolutely fine. I can barely remember it but I felt totally fine after a sleep. I wasn't sedated for phobic reasons though I was petrified - but it totally cured my dental phobia.

A friend of mine was sedated for an extraction recently and she was told she couldn't be left alone to even browse the internet because people buy stuff then forget they've ordered something and buy it again... One patient ended up buying several hats for a wedding!

I must admit, it sounds kind of fun!

It's a bit like having a few glasses of wine so someone needs to be there to drive or accompany, and it wears off once you're out and so get the painkiller prescription in advance if at all possible or go home via decent chemist to start taking them asap.

Presuming she needs pain relief - may be worth asking for some preemptively, as even a scale and polish on my fairly healthy teeth can throb a bit.

Definetley don't get a tube! DD was fine but remembers nothing of that day at all. I had to guide her to the car as it was like she'd had a bottle or 2 of wine very woozy and unsteady but no sickness or ill effects.

I wouldn't go on the tube afterwards. She'll be prone to randomly falling asleep and wandering vaguely into roads if anything like me.

Tell her she won't even be aware of the cannula coming out afterwards, they normally do it while you're still waking up. You don't go completely asleep but you're not really aware. I remember some noise from the drill and the dentist talking about why fishcakes are unnatural but otherwise couldn't tell you a thing about it.

He made a joke about a small prick, put the needle in, sat me back and put a cloth over my eyes to stop the light shining in them and then the conversation about fishcakes. Next thing I remember is him saying he'd got the wiley bugger and showing me a tooth with a massive root. Then its hazy again, I think I was biting on gauze, until he helped me up and took me through to sit in the recovery room for a bit where I indignantly told my mum that there was nothing wrong with fishcakes.

I slept most of the way home and apparently appeared to be stoned for the rest of the day.

She needs someone to accompany really. You're woozy after sedation and it will have been a big thing for her to manage.

It's brilliant, I had a tooth removed they covered my eyes and by that point I didn't care and the next thing I knew they removed it.

I was very sleepy it's meant to only be a few hours but I was out of sorts for a day or so after.

I'm not sure they'd let her go on her own. But I wouldn't recommend it.

I had dental treatment under sedation there when I lived in London - they were absolutely amazing. DH came with me but I really wasn’t that out of it afterwards - we used the tube no problem. Definitely need someone with you though just in case.

It was amazing - I honestly don’t remember a second of any of my sessions.

I now have two broken teeth and too terrified to go to the dentist as no chance of sedation where I live now unless I could afford it privately :(

Ooh I might try and get this to have my teeth scaled and polished. Very Very bad phobia here.