IV sedation and wisdom teeth

[Mikej55]

I have to get all 4 of my wisdom teeth takin out and i am scared of the IV sedation. I have looked into not using it but they would only take 2 out at a time so i would have to come back and do it all over again. I am just worried about how i am going to be coming out of the anesthesia. I have heard alot of different stories about people coming out angry and things like that. So it just freaks me out that im going to say something crazy that i would not wanna say. So if you can just tell me about how u were acting and feeling and how long it took you to return back to normal im sure it would be a big help for me.

[Luxuria]

I feel the same way! I have to get all 4 of mine out as well. I haven't made an appointment yet, I am just beside myself with anxiety! I know I really really really need to do it soon though as I am getting married in July and do not want these teeth to flare up even more around the wedding day or on our honeymoon. Having to get emergency dental work while in Maui does not appeal to me very much! I'm really scared of the IV and sedation too. I am going to ask (when I finally go) if an oral sedative will do the job or if it absolutely has to be an IV to do all 4 at once. I have a post going in the wizzie world section. Feel free to contact me more as you get closer to your appointment. I'm going to need all the support I can get and I know others out there will too.
[smiley=grouphug.gif]
Best of luck to you

[gumgirl]

Hi Mike and Luxuria - I've had IV sedation twice now, once for root planing and once for 10 extractions. My experience of it has been wholly positive and I was very scared before I had it the first time.
I was out of it within 15 seconds of the first dose of sedative, even though it took a few minutes longer for my dentist to be satisfied that I was at the right level of sedation. I 'came to' once I was back home...and have almost no memory of the drive from the surgery.
I didn't feel angry...just very relaxed and happy.
Let me know if you'd like any more info!

[Mikej55]

Well that helps ease my mind a little bit. So by the time you got back home you were pretty alert as to what you were doing and you didnt do anything crazy? Cause im just kinda worried that im gonna make a phone call or something and say something i normally wouldn't say to someone. I wasn't really worried until i've heard from some other people that when they came to they felt and acted like they were drunk and people do all sorts of crazy things when they are drunk. So hopefully you can ease my mind a little bit more.

[happydancyfeet]

Hi Mike,

Just thought I'd try and ease your mind a little......I have to have iv sedation for any treatment, inc scaling/cleaning. I've had it 3 times now and booked in again next week for 4 extractions.

Like gumgirl has said, the iv kicked in within seconds for me, and after what seemed like 5 mins it was all over, Id actually been in the chair for an hour!

I vaguely remember getting in the car, but dont remember the 20 min journey home. I didnt feel drunk as such, just very very relaxed. The first thing i did was post on here about my success albeit with a couple of typing errors lol. After snoozing for an hour I was more or less back to normal.
Hope this helps a litle Mike

[gumgirl]

Hi Mike - my experience was very much like happy's, except I remember even less! Once I was back home, all I wanted to do was sleep, then after a couple of hours snooze I posted here. It's not like feeling drunk, it's feeling happy and calm and tired. You will be alert but drowsy. One thing you shouldn't do is try to boil a kettle or use a cooker: I had my best friend collect me, and while I was sleeping she cooked some soup for me and put it in a thermos so that I could slurp something hot when I woke up but not use anything that I might forget to turn off!

[Mikej55]

Thanks for your posts. You have helped ease my mind a little bit. If theres anything else anyone has to share please do.

[raspberry75]

hello Mike!

I am in the same boat as you! I have to have my 4 wisdom teeth removed in 6 days,,, and I am seriously "freaking out" it comes and it goes. This site, which I found yesterday, is helping me cope. I think that for me the worst is the anticipatory anxiety I wish I could go right now and have it done!

I will have an iv sedation, I have never been put under and am scared of that.. and I have a really bad gagging relflex too

The unknown is what feeds my fear I think... I hope I can walk in to my dentist office and have it done, and not have this overwhelming need to "escape" out the window.

thank you to all for sharing your stories this is very helpful!

[Mikej55]

hi raspberry I feel the same way that you do except I have to wait until march 13th so this waiting is killing me. I am less afraid of the procedure and pain because those I can deal with. My main concern is the IV sedation. The replies ive gotten so far have helped, but if you could let me know how your experience goes with the sedation I would really appreciate it. Good luck hope it goes well.

[gumgirl]

Hi Mike and raspberry - might be worth checking if your dentist has a qualification in dental sedation. In the UK it's a diploma in dental sedation; not sure what the US equivilant is. If you have sedation, the drug used is likely to be midazolam, which has a great safety record and in my experience does NOT mean you start saying stuff you don't mean. It just makes you very calm and cozy, and it makes you forget the treatment itself. The sedative should kick in about 15 seconds after it's hit your system.