Chickened out - but going back!

[Laura]

Hi guys....well I chickened out of an appt last tuesday to have three extractions....as soon as I set foot in the surgery, my chest tightened and I couldn't breath or stop crying or shaking. My dentist referred me to a dental surgeon for IV sedation.
Had a consultation this evening, and my appointment is this Friday morning. I'm having two wisdom teeth and a molar extracted under sedation. I'm still very, very nervous but the surgeon was great and has explained everything and I feel comfortable with the procedure.
To anyone who's ever had the IV sedation....how does it make you feel afterwards? I had some extractions under a general a few years ago and felt like a zombie for a few days afterwards.

I'm determined to go through with the appointment this Friday. I had an awful night last night (was in a supermarket buying painkillers at 1.30am) and I'm looking forward to being able to eat and sleep in peace.
Laura x

 

[The_Other_Me]

I haven't had IV sedation, so I have nothing to offer there. BUT, I wanted to say congrats for getting right back on the horse and finding a good surgeon so quickly. I understand your anxiety, but you've done so well so far, and have such a great outlook, you're bound to do great!

The Other Me

 

[mikey]

I have had IV twice, you will feel a little groggy for a while afterwards but not for too long, its byfar the best way to be sedated for big procedures. heres a link to the details about it.....

IV Sedation

Find out all about IV dental sedation: what does it feel like, is it safe, and how do the sedation drugs midazolam and remimazolam differ?

www.dentalfearcentral.org

 

[scaredstiff]

I recently had IV sedation for tooth extraction. Not only am I a dental phobic but I am also a needle phobic, so there were two terrors to face at the one time. However, some people's experience of IV is that they are 'aware' of what is going on but don't care about it. In my case I had told both my dentist and sedationist that I didn't want to be even remotely aware, I wanted to be completely out altogether just like GA because I didn't want to feel any tugging or anything, not see anything though obviously my eyes would be closed in any case. My fear was that if I felt tugging I would be trying to move backward and fighting against the dentist. So, my sedationist said he would give me very deep sedation right down to GA level.
The sedationist was absolutely marvellous, talking to me explaining everything, he put numbing gel on my arm (I did not have the injection at the back of hand as some people do, but inside the elbow where vein apparently was better. After the numbing gel, he put the needle in and I honestly didn't feel a thing. He then hooked up the IV, with a monitor thing on a finger of the other hand,having already taken blood pressure etc. Within a couple of seconds I was feeling whoozy, nice feeling, room going round and then NOTHING. Seemingly seconds later my eyes opened, both the dentist and sedationist in front of me smiling. I immediately put up one finger pointing accusingly at them and said, "I knew you wouldn't give me enough"..thinking nothing had happened. But exactly an hour had passed, 18 teeth our, immediate dentures in. I had felt absolutely nothing, I felt absolutely nothing now awake except for mouth numbness. I had never felt that before because I'd never had numbing injections in my mouth. It was such a funny feeling I was in hysterics. They gave me a mirror and there were my beautiful new teeth. Gave me painkillers while I was still numb (which probably lasted about an hour) and it was so funny because with the numbness kept missing my mouth so we crushed the pills, put them in water in a dropper and squirted into my mouth. Who could believe 1 minute after having all teeth pulled I would be laughing hysterically with tears running down my eyes just from trying to get pills down my throat. But honestly, the experience of IV was terrific. Only after effects were that for next 2 days I was extremely tired. Could have been a combination of the valium I had taken beforehand, the adrenelin and whatever else had been in the IV and the huge relief that it was all over.

In a few months I will be having a few mini implants in my lower jaw to stabilise the lower denture - again I will be terrified and will be having the same sedationist and hopefully exactly the same experience of sedation with not feeling a thing.
Please do go for it,it is wonderful and if you are really, really terrified, do tell the dentist and sedationist and ask for very deep sedation.