oral sedation vs. conscious sedation?

[SunflowerMama]

I have had many things done to my teeth in the past and have always had everything done under conscious sedation. What I am wondering is, has anyone had success in just using oral sedation (like Atavan or something like that) as opposed to having complete IV sedation? I am asking because the last time I had conscious sedation I kept waking up and panicking and the dentist is leery about using it on me again because of that. I am thinking I may ask my doctor for a single dose of oral sedation just to see if it would be enough to let me get through some dental work.

Has anyone here done or tried that? Anyone tried oral sedation and found that it wasn't enough to get you through the work?

Thanks in advance!

 

[takingflight]

Hi and welcome. The last few years I have had oral sedation to get through a variety of dental procedures, mainly an extraction, implant, filling and crown. I'm as big a chicken as they come and have had tears on more than one occasion in the dental chair but after the very first visit with oral sedation I can honestly say that the tears are a thing of the past. I'm given a warm blanket, and they put on a blood pressure cuff and finger pulse oximetry. Then I'm handed a cup with two tiny blue pills in it that I let dissolve under my tongue. After a couple of sips of water I usually chat for a bit with the assistant and put on some headphones to listen to my music. i don't really have a clue what is going on as it seems that the next thing I know I'm waking up from a nap at home. Later I'll remember that I was told to bite down or open wider but have no recollection of any work being done. Apparently I always tell them that I'm going to remember the whole visit and joke with the dentist only to realize the next day that I didn't even recall seeing the dentist, let alone having a conversation with him.

Perhaps the next time you need work you could opt to do something relatively minor with the oral sedation to see if you are comfortable with it. Just be aware that you are required to have someone escort you home after a sedation appointment. Good luck - hope that it works for you and I get to see your next post in the success stories!

takingflight