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Complex tooth extraction with IV sedation >.<

B

Bubblebeam

Junior member
Joined
Jun 5, 2019
Messages
6
Location
York
Hi there all!

So on Wednesday (a week today), I’ve got an appointment to have one of my lower back teeth on my right side taken out. A filling fell out of it a little while ago and I think it’s been decaying since as little bits would fall off now and then >.<. Recently, it started giving me terrible pain and a few times I think I’d knocked a nerve by trying to get food out of it with my tongue, which brought tears to my eyes and I couldn’t even speak with the pain.

So anyway, due to the daily pain and sensitivity (which has thankfully died down to not that often now) and after eating on one side of my mouth for so long, which can’t be good for the other side either (I think this dentist even said she’d clean them too while I’m sedated as there was some decay on that side). I finally managed the courage to get in touch with a really nice dentist who specialises in nervous patients and offers IV sedation. But the closer it gets to the appointment, the more nervous and worried I’m getting. I’ve read some posts on here before but lots of them where quite older ones, so I’m just wondering if anyone has recently had an extraction with the IV sedation and how it was for them. What if you can still feel pain/discomfort but you can’t tell them? What if they just yank it out as they think you can’t feel anything? What if I’m still nervous even with the drugs? Will I be able to feel the needle in my arm the entire time? (I’m fine with needles anywhere but my mouth, but would rather not be able to feel it in me for that long >.<). How do the drugs work? Do they have saline in the IV too? Is it diluted lots so you only get a tiny bit? Are the sedatives in the big IV drip bag so it’s constantly dripping and being topped up? Do they really still give you local anesthesia too? What do you feel like after IV sedation? How long does it last and stay in your system?

So sorry for all the questions but my mind just worries and thinks about everything! So any other/additional details would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you so so much in advance!
 
Hey, although I have never had IV sedation, I am a dental nurse soon to be sedation trained so I will try to answer as many questions for you as I can. Every patient reacts different to sedation, so what may be enough for one person may not be enough for another, as we all come in different shapes and sizes.. so If you’re still feeling very anxious and normal just let the dentist know and they will be able to act accordingly. A cannula is placed and a bit of saline is placed in before hand. Once that’s done the sedation drug is placed gradually also via a syringe. Now not to worry about this. This is a very controlled drug and also comes with an antidote that reverses the effects for whatever reason it may be needed for. (This is not to scare you about the drug as things going wrong are rare, but I’m hoping you may take comfort in the fact the effects are eaily reversed if needed) when it has taken effect the patients are very relaxed and seem to not have a care in the world And generally forget about the cannula. Yes local anaesthetic is still needed as sedation does not anaesthetise you. You must have somebody with you, as you are unable to drive afterwards and should have somebody stay with you overnight too. The dentist and nurse are especially trained for sedation so I wouldn’t worry too much, overthinking will just make the build up feel even worse! Let me know how you get on :)
 
If you have pain, they will know. Your body will react, your pulse and blood pressure will change and they are all monitored. Under IV sedation you can still talk so they can even ask you.

I can’t help much on how it works, maybe one of the dentists here can help on this.

Yes, they really give you the local anesthetic. After IV sedation, I usually feel tired, don’t remember much, if any, of the work that was done. The amnesia portion starts to calm down but not on one shot. For example, I would remember leaving the recovery room, but not paying. I would remember getting in the car, but not the ride. I would remember going to bed, but not how I got from the car to my place.
 
We have an extensive article about iv sedation here, if you like some extra reading. Remember sedation makes you calm but as geos mentioned, you are aware and able to let your dental team know if anything isn't right. The drugs however cause memory loss so you won't remember anything of that.
An interesting source about sedation is also the Interview with Omar Iqbal here on the site. He is a dentist who provides sedation and a part of the interview touches the topic of how patients behave during sedation and some background stuff, so you might find some useful information there as well.
 
Thank you all so so much for your replies. It means a lot that each of you lovely people have taken the time :). I’ll check back in and let you know how it went :) thank you so much again :).
 
Some patients aren’t aware particularly early in the sedation
 
Thank you for your reply. I’m really hoping that I’m not aware at all for any of it >.<.

Appointment at 11:20am tomorrow, I’m terrified and it’s all I can think about :(. Has anyone had Midazolam recently? It’s what they’ll be sedating me with tomorrow and apparently it’s what most U.K dentists use for IV sedation now. Any more stories would be greatly appreciated, sorry to sound silly asking again >.<.

Thank you again lovely people
 
I just saw this thread, so too late to weigh in (both of my times being sedated were SUPER easy and I would choose that any day over my last extraction while wide awake!). How did it go?
 
Hey, although I have never had IV sedation, I am a dental nurse soon to be sedation trained so I will try to answer as many questions for you as I can. Every patient reacts different to sedation, so what may be enough for one person may not be enough for another, as we all come in different shapes and sizes.. so If you’re still feeling very anxious and normal just let the dentist know and they will be able to act accordingly. A cannula is placed and a bit of saline is placed in before hand. Once that’s done the sedation drug is placed gradually also via a syringe. Now not to worry about this. This is a very controlled drug and also comes with an antidote that reverses the effects for whatever reason it may be needed for. (This is not to scare you about the drug as things going wrong are rare, but I’m hoping you may take comfort in the fact the effects are eaily reversed if needed) when it has taken effect the patients are very relaxed and seem to not have a care in the world And generally forget about the cannula. Yes local anaesthetic is still needed as sedation does not anaesthetise you. You must have somebody with you, as you are unable to drive afterwards and should have somebody stay with you overnight too. The dentist and nurse are especially trained for sedation so I wouldn’t worry too much, overthinking will just make the build up feel even worse! Let me know how you get on :)


I just saw this thread, so too late to weigh in (both of my times being sedated were SUPER easy and I would choose that any day over my last extraction while wide awake!). How did it go?


Hey there! Thank you again to all for your kind words :). Pleased to say it went really well :). Was terrified going in, but everyone was so lovely ^^. At first (and throughout my Partner said I kept asking for more haha) I didn’t think the midazolam was really effecting me. But I was only mainly aware with the first dose (they gave me doses in increments of 2mg to a total of 8mg). Then as the procedure went on, I must have became more sedated as I don’t remember them extracting the tooth at all, or giving me the needles in my mouth. And my partner says I was just super chill and on the video he’s got of me, I don’t remember it and look pretty stoned ?.

So yeah, everyone was super lovely and apparently I was a bit wobbly on my feet and my partner had to save me from going backwards and I don’t remember us paying (my partner did with my card), I just vaguely remember being all made up getting three different variations of the free toothpaste sample tubes haha.

Slept most of the night, and when awake I was mainly trying to get rid of all the blood and use gauzes >.<. It looks a lot better today than it did, so hopefully it’ll heal up really soon, still got pain as it heals up, but it only happened yesterday and it was a big long tooth.

Thank you all so so much again :) It really means a lot :)
 
So glad to hear it all went well for you!! Hope it heals up quickly for you!
 
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