What is Inhalation Sedation?

It is a behaviour modification technique that employs a sedative gas (nitrous oxide, also known as ‘Laughing Gas’) and oxygen to help patients cope with fear and anxiety and cooperate with dental treatment. Your best dentist for inhalation sedation in Dublin.

Who Could Be Sedated?

Patients with mild to moderate anxiety who are unable to cope are the best candidates for inhalation sedation. Intravenous sedation is recommended for dental patients who have moderate to severe anxiety.

Inhalation sedation is also beneficial for people who have a strong gag reflex. It is also beneficial for children who do not understand how to cooperate in the delivery of dental care. Because it does not require injections, inhalation sedation is ideal for patients who are afraid of needles.

Why Use Inhalation Sedation?

This type of sedation helps patients cope better with dental treatment and relieves stress and anxiety, reducing the need for more advanced pharmacological intravenous sedation or general anaesthesia (hospital based).

It is an extremely useful tool in the behavioral management of the phobic patient because it aids in the desensitization process. Because the patient does not lose consciousness during treatment, he or she is able to confront his or her dental phobia.

Inhalation sedation can also provide some supplementary analgesia in cases where numbing the teeth with a local anaesthetic alone is problematic or insufficient.

Is it Safe?

It is critical to conduct a thorough pre-sedation evaluation. Prior to your assessment appointment, we will ask you to complete a medical history form and will discuss any specific concerns with you.

In general, dental treatment under Nitrous Oxide inhalation sedation is a safe technique because it maintains consistently high levels of oxygen throughout treatment (at least 30% oxygen is administered when the atmospheric air contains only 21% oxygen). In addition, we will monitor and record your vital signs throughout your treatment.

Do I need to do anything before the procedure?

It is critical to follow our inhalation sedation trained dentists’ instructions regarding fasting from fluids and foods prior to the sedation appointment. To reduce the risk of nausea and vomiting, we recommend that fluids and a light meal be consumed no later than 2 hours before the sedation appointment (common side effects when Nitrous Oxide gas is used).

What About After the Procedure?

Our personnel will not release you until you are alert and ready to go. Children who have been sedated are usually asked to stay at home with adult supervision for the rest of the day.

Our staff will discuss specific post-sedation instructions with you, including appropriate diet and physical activity.

You will need to plan ahead of time for post-operative transportation. It is strongly advisable that you bring a responsible adult with you to

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Sedation Dentistry feel like?

You will remain conscious and able to talk during your dental sedation in Smile Hub Dental Clinic. You will be able to understand and respond to our dental team. Intravenous sedation induces a state of deep relaxiation and you will be very comfortable throughout your dental treatment. The drugs used for sedation can cause partial or complete memory loss for the period of time that the drug is working until it wears off. You will feel that time passes quickly and you will not recall much about your dental treatment. You may in fact feel that you were ‘asleep’ during the procedure even though you weren’t.

Call us in Smile Hub Dental Clinic in North Dublin today or Book Online Now to arrange your nervous dental patient conscious sedation consultation.

Is local anaesthetic still needed?

Yes the drugs used for intravenous sedation are anti-anxiety drugs that relax you but you will still need to be numbed for your treatment. However, you will not be numbed until the intravenous sedation has taken effect. If you have a phobia of needles you will be really relaxed before the local anaesthetic injection is administered.

How is Sedation administered?

Intravenous sedation is administered into your vein. A thin needle is placed in your vein close to the skin in your arm or in the back of the hand. During the procedure your blood pressure, pulse and oxygen levels will be closely monitored. A typical sedation appointment ususally lasts 90 minutes.

What drug is used for my sedation dentistry?

At Smile Hub Dental Clinic in Bayside Medical Centre we use a benzodiazepine called midazolam.

Is sedation safe?

Yes, at Smile Hub Dental Clinic all of our sedation dentists have undergone an 18 month postgraduate Diploma in Conscious Sedation.

Contraindications to having sedation with dental treatment:

Sleep apnoea
Known allergy to benzodiazepine
Alcohol intoxication
Impaired renal or liver function
Pregnancy and breast feeding

Advantages of Conscious Sedation

Conscious sedation makes dental treatment relaxing and comfortable for patients with moderate to severe dental anxiety. The onset of action is rapid and the level of sedation can be tailored to the patient’s individual needs. A deeper level of sedation can be achieved with intravenous sedation compared to inhalation sedation.
Conscious sedation makes traumatic surgical procedures relaxing and comfortable for the patient. Benzodiazepines produce amnesia.
Patient’s with gag and swallow reflexes can have their dental treatment undertaken in comfort
Conscious sedation relieves stress for patients with mild medical conditions such as hypertension and asthma whose conditions can be aggravated by the stress of dental treatment
Conscious sedation makes dental treatment more comfortable for patients with mild intellectual and physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy

The following after care dental sedation advice is given by your dentist inSmile Hub Dental Clinic:

Have your escort take you home in private transport so that you can rest for the remainder of the day. You must be looked after by a responsible adult for 24 hours
Do not drive for 24 hours or operate any machinery or domestic appliances
Do not perform strenuous or hazardous activities such as mowing the lawn for 24 hours
Eat light meals for the remainder of the day
Do not drink alcohol, return to work, make important decisions or sign any legal documents for 24 hours
Take any medications that you have been prescribed at their usual times

What are the advantages of Conscious Sedation during dental treatment?

At Smile Hub Dental Clinic we educate our nervous patients on the following benefits of having conscious sedation with their dental treatment:

Conscious sedation makes dental treatment relaxing and comfortable for patients with moderate to severe dental anxiety. The onset of action is rapid and the level of sedation can be tailored to the patient’s individual needs. A deeper level of sedation can be achieved with intravenous sedation compared to inhalation sedation.
Conscious sedation makes traumatic surgical procedures relaxing and comfortable for the patient. Benzodiazepines produce amnesia.
Patient’s with gag and swallow reflexes can have their dental treatment undertaken in comfort
Conscious sedation relieves stress for patients with mild medical conditions such as hypertension and asthma whose conditions can be aggravated by the stress of dental treatment
Conscious sedation makes dental treatment more comfortable for patients with mild intellectual and physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy

What happens after I have sedation for my dental treatment in Smile Hub Dental Clinic?

Your dentist in Smile Hub Dental Clinic will go through what to expect before, during and after your dental treatment with sedation.

Have your escort take you home in private transport so that you can rest for the remainder of the day. You must be looked after by a responsible adult for 24 hours
Do not drive for 24 hours or operate any machinery or domestic appliances
Do not perform strenous or hazardous activities such as mowing the lawn for 24 hours
Eat light meals for the remainder of the day
Do not drink alcohol, return to work, make important decisions or sign any legal documents for 24 hours
Take any medications that you have been prescribed at their usual times