advice on sedation dentistry

[starryblu]

Hello and thank you for your help. I am interested to know if IV sedation is an effective treatment for someone that is extremely fearful of dental work. My biggest problem is that I am fearful of sedation as well. I am a 55 year old woman who has avoided dental work for many years, due to my phobia. I have found a dentist that does sedation dentistry, but I'm still not comfortable about having the work done. The plan is to do the upper part of my mouth first, and then hopefully the lower part next year. (a money issue) I will have several teeth pulled, the rest crowned, and a partial made. I want this work done very badly, my teeth look awful! I picked this particular dentist because he does cerec crowns. I have not been able to tolerate impressions for quite some time, and have been avoiding general dental work. I have actually gotten pretty good at having fillings, root canals, etc. but anything involving impressions I cannot do.


So here is what I'm wondering. Is it common for people to have a problem with being sedated? I have had a couple of procedures that I've woken up as they were being done. One was a c-section, the other an endoscopy. I had tried talking to someone about the fact that I had woken up before, when I had the endoscopy. The nurse I spoke with was very casual, and said I would wake up, and never know anything had happened to me. Well, that simply wasn't true. I woke up in the middle of the procedure, choking, with a tube down my throat, and people yelling at me to swallow. (sorry if that was more information than you needed!) Now I am very fearful of anything involving sedation. The dentist I'm seeing has even talked about bringing in an anesthesiologist, to do general anesthesia, as we have discussed my problems with sedation and he is concerned. I worry about the safety of general anesthesia, he said he has only had one other patient that has required it. It is very upsetting to have a problem with so many fears, when I want the work done so badly. It is a horrible feeling though, to wake up during a procedure, when you have been assured (and feel relieved!) that you will sleep through something that is so scary for you. I'm also wondering if there are any measures that can be taken to help the IV sedation work more effectively.


I hope I am not asking questions that are outside the boundaries of what you are able to help me with, and I apologize if I am. I have an appointment tomorrow, and I'm sure the dentist will be wanting to schedule the work requiring the sedation. I was asking in the hopes that you could give me some advice to help set my mind at rest.


Thank you so much for your time.

 

[Gordon]

Doctors are really crap at doing sedation

The usual way of them doing it is to whack in what they assume to be the right dose going by the patient's weight and not bothering to check if it's too much or too little in your case.

Dentists are taught to titrate the dose against the patient's response and not work to tables in a book. That way the results are much more consistent and effective.

You'll be fine.

 

[starryblu]

Gordon, you are just plain awesome.

you really made sense, as to why i've had problems with the procedures i mentioned. thinking about it now, i've had sedation for dental work, and never had a problem. sooo....your response really did help me, very much.

i'm finally starting to get excited about getting my teeth fixed!!

thank you soooo much!

 

[grasshopper1917]

Just had it done last week. Usually in the dentist office it is conscious sedation so the person is awake an able to respond. Some people dont realize they were awake and forget due to the drugs. Personally I remember most of the procedure. You really don't care though your very relaxed -- while he was trying to get my badly impacted tooth out all I could think about was how I would love a huge slice of pizza lol

 

[carole]

 

[comfortdentist]

Gordon is right and blunt. There are no fixed dosages. It MUST be individualized

 

[starryblu]

Just had it done last week. Usually in the dentist office it is conscious sedation so the person is awake an able to respond. Some people dont realize they were awake and forget due to the drugs. Personally I remember most of the procedure. You really don't care though your very relaxed -- while he was trying to get my badly impacted tooth out all I could think about was how I would love a huge slice of pizza lol

haha, that is SO funny about the pizza!!

well hopefully i will be that relaxed as well. i'm feeling much better about sedation, though i'm still a bit nervous. i'm having so much work done at once. all my upper teeth pulled, 4 implants, and a fixed bridge. my dentist said it would take all day, and that freaks me out. but i guess he knows what he's doing, right?

i'm hoping that i'll be one of the ones that forget. i guess i don't get to pick though, huh?

 

[starryblu]

Gordon is right and blunt. There are no fixed dosages. It MUST be individualized

thank you, that really helps to know. i guess i should have more faith and not spend so much time worrying...

 

[carole]

That is very easy to say, but not so easy to do. We do stress and worry it is quite normal. The trick is to worry but still manage to get to the dentist and let them help.

I wish you all the luck in the world, I am sure you will be fine.

 

[starryblu]

i'm getting closer to the time for my procedure. it should have been done by now, but i got behind schedule following a trip. the delay was well worth it! i went to iowa to visit my brand-new granddaughter. i've been blessed with grandchildren in the past year. a Zachary last august, and now the pretty little girl Addison. it's wonderful to finally be a granny!!

anyhoo...i've been back for more consultations with my dentist, and am scheduled for the procedure on july 10th. my dentist seems to be very understanding of my anxieties for the most part, and i like him a lot. we've discussed my fear of the sedation. he keeps telling me i will be "comfortable". he said most people don't remember anything. he also told me that because of the medications i take, i will most likely wake up. (i take several for depression and anxiety) also the fact that i have woken up in the past. he has a fellow handling the sedation that he says he uses with the most difficult cases scheduled.

sooo...i am again nervous about being conscious. i'm having quite a bit of work done. the appointment is scheduled for two hours, but that's an awful lot of work to be done in that time. he told me i might be awake, but i wouldn't care what was happening. keeps telling me that i will be "comfortable".

to tell the truth, i'm not just nervous, i'm freaked out. the other occasions when i woke up were extremely terrifying. i was not comfortable at all!

so can someone tell me exactly what "comfortable" means, in regards to oral sedation? i really want the work to be done. i'm actually looking forward to my new teeth. but i am VERY scared.

thanks again for listening...