After effects of IV sedation

I'm much more awake now and about 70% back to normal so have posted a fairly detailed account of my IV sedation experience at: https://www.dentalfearcentral.org/forum/threads/my-iv-sedation-experience-for-4-fillings.5361/

It seems a long time ago that I started this thread, but it's now countdown to my appointment. It's on Thursday, so just four days away now. I can't wait until this time next week!

Incidentally, I've discovered something new about dental impression trays (something else I mentioned in this thread was about a front filling that kept coming out and my potential need for a crown). Well, that front filling came out yet again and I told my dentist about my fear of gagging with an impression plate - hence me not being able to cope with getting a crown.

He did actually say he'd attempt the filling one more time - giving me a temporary until after my sedation for my wisdom teeth. But if it does eventually need a crown it turns out there are small, sectional, impression trays that can be used at the front. He was good enough to get one for me and let me sit with it in place for about a minute - albeit with no gunge - and I think I'd be OK-ish with it as it doesn't go anyway near the back. So that's one weight off my mind.

Just my three wisdom teeth to come out now.

heloo,
ive just read you full experiance of IV seditation, you had far better experiance than i did, i believe my experiance to have caused my fear and anxiety

People say I'm too young for sedation so all I can really tell you is that I wish the best of luck to you.

However, I also would like to know how the impression felt, as I'm hysterical about my first, as I'm expecting braces. Thank you!

wondering if you've had it yet??? When I've been sedated, I just *babble* about what ever's on mind at the time. Sorry if that doesn't help, but it's usually things like - can i have a brandy, or i have to go to work now. I took my friend and she babbled the same 3 or 4 sentences for an hour car ride. hehe. all about phoning her dad - and there can surely only be so many ways you can say that!!!!

I'm trying oral sedation later today but am beginning to wish i'd found somewhere with a nice dentist (who i have now - even though i'm terrified) that does IV stuff.

good luck!!

aurora0803 said:

wondering if you've had it yet??? When I've been sedated, I just *babble* about what ever's on mind at the time. Sorry if that doesn't help, but it's usually things like - can i have a brandy, or i have to go to work now. I took my friend and she babbled the same 3 or 4 sentences for an hour car ride. hehe. all about phoning her dad - and there can surely only be so many ways you can say that!!!!

I'm trying oral sedation later today but am beginning to wish i'd found somewhere with a nice dentist (who i have now - even though i'm terrified) that does IV stuff.

good luck!!

Click to expand...

Not yet. It's tomorrow morning and right now I'm a total bag of nerves.

Good luck tomorrow! You'll do fine.. one thing that helps me is I pretend I'm a reporter, and I must pay attention to everything so I can give a proper report back here at the message board! Even small silly things, like what everyone is wearing. It helps keep my mind busy.

You're not going to believe this. But I didn't have the sedation, and I only had one tooth out and not three!!!!

My own dentist had referred me to this specialist place because two of the three teeth were not straight-forward extractions (impacted, I think). However, I've not had them x-rayed because my gagging means I can't cope with x-rays.

However, this place had a different sort of x-ray machine which doesn't involve anything in your mouth apart from a cotton roll to keep your mouth open. So the dentist at this clinic had a look at an x-ray for the first time in years (I'd had one of these x-rays many years ago). It turns out that the two wisdom teeth that would be problematic extractions have no decay nor infections, nor are interfering with other teeth. He gave them a good inspection as well as looking at the x-ray. Then he told me that the NICE guidelines don't allow him to take out healthy teeth. He was very pleasant about it, we had loads of time talking about it. But I wasn't minded to argue.

However, the third tooth did have decay, so we agreed I'd just have that one out. They put the needle in my arm for the sedation and were about to inject when I said - 'hang on, if this is a simple extraction, do I need the sedation?'. He explained what the basic extraction involved and said I didn't need to have the sedation if I was OK with that. He actually joked: "You'll miss the best bit"!

So I just had a couple of local anaesthetic injections and the actual extraction can't have taken more than a minute!

My mum was amazed to see me afterwards. Obviously I still was not 'with it' and had to sit in the recovery room for 20minutes. My gagging sensation means I couldn't have anything on to stop the bleeding, so I tried to sit as calmly as possible.

But the experience in the recovery room wasn't a bad one as there were three other people recovering as well - all after sedation. One man was just in the most content-looking doze imaginable, with a big grin on his face as he slept and held his wife's hand. There was a young woman who seemed almost normal - you wouldn't know she'd had anything done (perhaps she'd been in there for a while). There was another woman who looked a bit more sheepish when she came in - but that was right after her treatment and we were right on our way then. None of them were rambling hysterically or really even talking at all. And I realized that a dozing/chilled young man I'd seen when I arrived was probably recovering after his treatment as well.

Five hours after my extraction I feel a bit wobbly and sleepy, as well as having a headache. My face is also still numb and swollen. But I've not felt like painkillers yet and I've eaten some soup and yoghurt!

It is possible I may need to go back there for the two teeth out one day. The x-ray also revealed an infection in a root that was left in my jaw in a previous extraction. If that causes problems it will need sorting surgically and they can do that there, and after today I'd be happy (well, as happy as I can be) to go.

Wow! Good for you! Even if I only needed a 'simple' extraction I would still want IV sedation, so I think you're very brave for doing it with only local. Glad you didn't have to have three teeth out!

Deb89 said:

Wow! Good for you! Even if I only needed a 'simple' extraction I would still want IV sedation, so I think you're very brave for doing it with only local. Glad you didn't have to have three teeth out!

Click to expand...

Thanks Deb. I had a two-hour sleep after posting that message - so having just one wisdom tooth without sedation still takes it out of you.

I've had just a couple of painkillers since - and that was about five hours ago. I'm now feeling much better in myself, although still not 100%. It's bedtime now and hopefully when I wake tomorrow I'll be nearly as right as rain - still having a day off work (sick day) though. I won't be up to work.

I had all 4 of wisdom teeth out and I had the same problem. I didn't have a secret but I was scared I was going to say something I didn't want anyone to know. But I had no problem. It did however make me want to cry! But that was it. I was walking and talking without a problem and fell asleep on the way home. I even went to a family friends house an hour after and was my normal self. I think the trick is not to be nervous, if you are you might spill a secret if you are thinking about it before and after, but if you aren't thinking about it your not going to say anything. You will probably just be tired. Also there is a difference between laughing gas and if IV sedation, IV sedation will most likely keep you pretty normal and aware of everything after. That being said it works really well when you are having the procedure done and won't keep you aware of anything then! Ps I wrote this for anyone who is looking at this post now, I know it was written in 2008. Hope the procedure went well!