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My latest IV Sedation visit

G

GrahamDee

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 11, 2009
Messages
523
Location
Hampshire, England
I am writing this as a warts-and-all account of my IV and hope its an inspiration to those who are about to have it and (like me) are terrified.

A bit of background here….

I am an extraction-phobe. 100% pure. I always have been since I was subjected to some severe brutal treatment when I was a kid. Having teeth pulled is my last and biggest fear I have in life, which is no fun when the time comes to actually needing to have one done.

Last April, I had to have one out and my impatient, eye-rolling, tutting and mutter-under-breath dentist gave up on me and I was referred to a sedation clinic for IV sedation for the first time. Yes, it was fantastic, but the dry socket afterwards is another story…

Of course, its great having found an emotional escape-hatch of discovering a technique of getting treatment whilst avoiding the pressing, snapping, twisting, popping which comes with laying there and enduring the dreaded ‘pliers’. I would rather have toothache than endure that again.


So last February, a lump broke off my lower left No 6 molar, which was more filling than tooth. My kindly dentist knowing I was a hopeless wimp when it comes to extractions, referred me back to the sedation clinic again. However, being the NHS in the UK (as well as having some time off work) decided to go privately and find a local dentist which does IV. Hopeless coward that I am, I’d rather get this over with sooner rather than later.
I will admit at this stage I maybe could have gone and found another dentist, one of these “caring family practices” I see in the Yellow Pages to have this out ‘cold’ with no drugs, just LA. But it seems impatience, eye-rolling, tutting and mutter-under-breath behaviours go beyond NHS and some time ago I paid a great deal of money to private dentist who did exactly that, which being phobic, makes you feel a whole lot worse and intensified my phobia by a thousand times. Never again!!!

Anyways….
So I searched online and happened to find this private dentist who is really close to me who does IV. One phone call for an appointment and another to my regular dentist to sort out a referral pack (Xrays and stuff) and my molar’s fate was sealed. Surprisingly these dentists are well known to each other so it was no hassle getting that sorted.

Come the day of sedation (yesterday) I was in pieces. A shaking wreck.
I had no need to be, I’ve had it before. I knew exactly what was going to happen, I knew I would remember nothing. But this is a phobia and it was pushing my nerves to the very edge. I was a tear-filled petrified mess.

I will admit now, this place was fantastic. I went in and paid my money (£220) and the dentist came out, shook my hand and tried to reassure me. Then the anaesthetist came out and gave a the usual dozens of questions about my health etc. He was the same guy I had last time and asked my why I was here and paying for it. I explained I just wanted this done and I didn’t want to wait for months on end. He explained to me that unlike last time where I had only one drug, I would get three drugs as this was a private sedation and I would be put under a very deep sedation. That reassured me a lot. So I was called, weighed and lead into the surgery. Everyone was really kind to me. The dentist tried to relax me, the assistant held my hand as I was white with fear. I was shaking, almost crying. The anaesthetist asked me if I was ok with needles and was keen to give me some numbing gel if I wanted it, to be honest my fear was so great, I didn’t notice the tiny pinch as the cannula went in.
I was comparing this time to last. Last time, there were instruments on display which scared the hell out of me. This time, all there was visible were the syringes full of the IV. A blood pressure cuff went on my left arm and the anaesthetist slowly emptied the first of three syringes. I started to feel a bit weird. I was still shaking and for some reason, I suddenly got worried that the dentist was going to pull the wrong tooth. I started to explain this, just as the second syringe was emptied. Now I really was starting to feel strange. He attached the third syringe and I suddenly forgot what I was talking about. I remember leaning back in the chair….and then I was sitting in my wife’s car with a frozen and swollen face. I never saw the third syringe empty, I was gone at this point.

Apparently, (so my wife told me later) the dentist had a real job on getting this tooth out. It took far longer than anticipated and my wife had to pay an extra fee for the length of time it took. I was in the chair for 45 mins, was dragged out and sat down for an extra 15 mins (none of this I remember). At one point, my phobia even ‘leaked’ into my sedated state as I was protesting about the sound of my tooth coming out. I guess I was topped up even further, as I was told I nearly went totally under. I am not a drinker and IV’s do hit me hard and this cocktail really flattened me. Also getting this tooth out also took out the filling in the tooth next to it and he put in a temporary filling in its place.
So my wife drove me home and I went to bed, still full of IV. I knocked down a couple of Ibuprofen’s to take the edge off the dull throbbing pain and just spent the rest of the day napping. I could still feel the IV in me at midnight.

Now, a day later, it’s a low-level throbbing ache. I have had no bleeding or signs of a dry socket, but I am only eating mushy food so as not to aggravate it. Not forgetting the salt washes as well.

This IV sedation was the best yet. I would happily go back to this guy again and pay all the money next time if I need another one out. I dare say I will be as scared again, but anything is better than nothing at all. To anyone who is about to have an IV, I can vouch that the absolute worse thing about having it, is the waiting and anticipation. NOT the IV itself. If you can get yourself in the chair with the cannula, that’s it. Just relax and suddenly its all over.

:yay::yay:
 
I'm glad to hear it went so well :jump: I loved IV sedation,but the problem I always had was finding someone who could take me and trying to get in quickly,because I wait till I can't bear the pain any longer.
 
I know you were worried about this!!
Glad that it went as well as it did!!!
Great job :respect::jump::yay:
 
Fantastic to hear Graham! I hope you are enjoying your weekend. :)

Mona
 
I am writing this as a warts-and-all account of my IV and hope its an inspiration to those who are about to have it and (like me) are terrified.

A bit of background here….

I am an extraction-phobe. 100% pure. I always have been since I was subjected to some severe brutal treatment when I was a kid. Having teeth pulled is my last and biggest fear I have in life, which is no fun when the time comes to actually needing to have one done.

Last April, I had to have one out and my impatient, eye-rolling, tutting and mutter-under-breath dentist gave up on me and I was referred to a sedation clinic for IV sedation for the first time. Yes, it was fantastic, but the dry socket afterwards is another story…

Of course, its great having found an emotional escape-hatch of discovering a technique of getting treatment whilst avoiding the pressing, snapping, twisting, popping which comes with laying there and enduring the dreaded ‘pliers’. I would rather have toothache than endure that again.


So last February, a lump broke off my lower left No 6 molar, which was more filling than tooth. My kindly dentist knowing I was a hopeless wimp when it comes to extractions, referred me back to the sedation clinic again. However, being the NHS in the UK (as well as having some time off work) decided to go privately and find a local dentist which does IV. Hopeless coward that I am, I’d rather get this over with sooner rather than later.
I will admit at this stage I maybe could have gone and found another dentist, one of these “caring family practices” I see in the Yellow Pages to have this out ‘cold’ with no drugs, just LA. But it seems impatience, eye-rolling, tutting and mutter-under-breath behaviours go beyond NHS and some time ago I paid a great deal of money to private dentist who did exactly that, which being phobic, makes you feel a whole lot worse and intensified my phobia by a thousand times. Never again!!!

Anyways….
So I searched online and happened to find this private dentist who is really close to me who does IV. One phone call for an appointment and another to my regular dentist to sort out a referral pack (Xrays and stuff) and my molar’s fate was sealed. Surprisingly these dentists are well known to each other so it was no hassle getting that sorted.

Come the day of sedation (yesterday) I was in pieces. A shaking wreck.
I had no need to be, I’ve had it before. I knew exactly what was going to happen, I knew I would remember nothing. But this is a phobia and it was pushing my nerves to the very edge. I was a tear-filled petrified mess.

I will admit now, this place was fantastic. I went in and paid my money (£220) and the dentist came out, shook my hand and tried to reassure me. Then the anaesthetist came out and gave a the usual dozens of questions about my health etc. He was the same guy I had last time and asked my why I was here and paying for it. I explained I just wanted this done and I didn’t want to wait for months on end. He explained to me that unlike last time where I had only one drug, I would get three drugs as this was a private sedation and I would be put under a very deep sedation. That reassured me a lot. So I was called, weighed and lead into the surgery. Everyone was really kind to me. The dentist tried to relax me, the assistant held my hand as I was white with fear. I was shaking, almost crying. The anaesthetist asked me if I was ok with needles and was keen to give me some numbing gel if I wanted it, to be honest my fear was so great, I didn’t notice the tiny pinch as the cannula went in.
I was comparing this time to last. Last time, there were instruments on display which scared the hell out of me. This time, all there was visible were the syringes full of the IV. A blood pressure cuff went on my left arm and the anaesthetist slowly emptied the first of three syringes. I started to feel a bit weird. I was still shaking and for some reason, I suddenly got worried that the dentist was going to pull the wrong tooth. I started to explain this, just as the second syringe was emptied. Now I really was starting to feel strange. He attached the third syringe and I suddenly forgot what I was talking about. I remember leaning back in the chair….and then I was sitting in my wife’s car with a frozen and swollen face. I never saw the third syringe empty, I was gone at this point.

Apparently, (so my wife told me later) the dentist had a real job on getting this tooth out. It took far longer than anticipated and my wife had to pay an extra fee for the length of time it took. I was in the chair for 45 mins, was dragged out and sat down for an extra 15 mins (none of this I remember). At one point, my phobia even ‘leaked’ into my sedated state as I was protesting about the sound of my tooth coming out. I guess I was topped up even further, as I was told I nearly went totally under. I am not a drinker and IV’s do hit me hard and this cocktail really flattened me. Also getting this tooth out also took out the filling in the tooth next to it and he put in a temporary filling in its place.
So my wife drove me home and I went to bed, still full of IV. I knocked down a couple of Ibuprofen’s to take the edge off the dull throbbing pain and just spent the rest of the day napping. I could still feel the IV in me at midnight.

Now, a day later, it’s a low-level throbbing ache. I have had no bleeding or signs of a dry socket, but I am only eating mushy food so as not to aggravate it. Not forgetting the salt washes as well.

This IV sedation was the best yet. I would happily go back to this guy again and pay all the money next time if I need another one out. I dare say I will be as scared again, but anything is better than nothing at all. To anyone who is about to have an IV, I can vouch that the absolute worse thing about having it, is the waiting and anticipation. NOT the IV itself. If you can get yourself in the chair with the cannula, that’s it. Just relax and suddenly its all over.

:yay::yay:


thankyou for sharing the link to read your own account of iv ... you did very well ! i am only having one drug called midazolam and the dentist i am seeing deals with nhs and private - but iv sedation cannot be given under nhs patients :( so i have to pay £360 for it along with 2 teeth extractions and a filling to my front tooth. its a lot of money to find but worth every penny if it means i can get my backside in that chair, have the work done successfully and leave the dentists a lot calmer than when i entered and with no more awful toothache and abcess :)
 
i am only having one drug called midazolam and the dentist i am seeing deals with nhs and private - but iv sedation cannot be given under nhs patients :( so i have to pay £360 for it along with 2 teeth extractions and a filling to my front tooth.

That is not true. My first IV was done under a NHS referral and cost me £45. I had to wait a very long time just to get an appointment and then about six weeks before I actually got in the chair. At that time, I was only given one drug, which was more than enough to switch my brain off for an hour or so.
But I wanted this over with which is why I decided to go private.

I think the three drugs I had the other week was meant for an elephant as I was totally out of my tree (I'm not complaining here...). To be honest, I don't actually remember much about the day after I had it, let alone being at the dentist. (much to the amusement of my wife LOL!!:giggle: )
 
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