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Oral Sedation

Unfortunately, many people decline necessary dental care because they have fears or anxiety associated with the procedures. When you neglect your oral health, it not only affects the function and aesthetics of your smile, it affects your overall health as well. For our patients that may suffer from some degree of dental phobia, David Crumpton, DDS offers oral conscious sedation!

What is Oral Conscious Sedation?

Oral conscious sedation involves the administration of an oral sedative to reduce your fear and anxiety related to a dental procedure. Usually taken in the form of a pill, this sedative reduces your anxiety while allowing you to remain conscious.

Oral conscious sedation is one of the most common forms of sedation. Patients prefer this method because it is extremely convenient, effective, and low-risk. It is used to produce a light to moderate effect, depending on the amount of sedative you receive.

On the day of your treatment, you will be prescribed an anti-anxiety pill, to be taken approximately one hour before your appointment. You may also be prescribed a pill to be taken the night before, depending on the severity of your anxiety. The pill will take effect fairly quickly, so you are required to have an escort take you to the appointment.

During the procedure, the effects of the sedative should be in full swing. You will be in a deep state of relaxation but retain your ability to respond to verbal commands. Once the procedure is complete, the effects of the sedative will continue for several hours. Again, you will be unable to drive and must have an escort. We cannot stress the importance of this enough!

You may experience an amnesia effect, and remember little or none of the procedure. Many patients find this to be the most attractive part of oral conscious sedation. One minute they are heading towards the office, the next, they are sitting at home with their dental treatment complete.

Medications Used for Oral Conscious Sedation

Here is a list of the most common medications:

•	Valium: Well known and time-tested, this drug has a longer half-life than other medications, making it particularly useful for long procedures.
•	Halcion: Highly effective for oral conscious protocols and commonly used to treat insomnia.
•	Sonata: Also used to treat insomnia, making this drug similar to Halcion.
•	Ativan: An effective sedative for appointments longer than two hours. It possesses many desirable effects with amnesic properties.
•	Versed: Ideal for short appointments and simple procedures as it has the shortest half-life.

Oral conscious sedation is almost always used in conjunction with a local anesthetic. A local anesthetic will numb the area in question and eliminate pain. In some cases, oral conscious sedation is also used with nitrous oxide gas.