How Long Does It Take For Dental Sedation To Wear Off?

Dental sedation is good news to anyone who shivers at the thought of dental appointments. The dental environment and painful past dental experiences are key factors behind dental anxiety and phobia. But thanks to sedation dentistry, patients with dental fear, anxiety, and phobia can undergo dental treatments with ease and pain-free.

If you’re planning a dental appointment that requires sedation, you might be curious about what to expect. In general, sedation dentistry in Citrus Heights is safe and highly effective. Below is an overview of the types of dental sedation and recovery tips.

What is dental sedation?

Also known as sleep dentistry, dental sedation is the use of pharmacological medicine to keep a patient calm, relaxed, or pain-free before and during a dental appointment. This allows your dentist to perform the necessary procedures without disruptive behaviors from patients. Since most types of sedation take time to wear off, you should arrange for a ride home after the treatment.

Before administering dental sedation, the dentist will consider factors such as:

• Patient’s age
• Type and length of procedure a patient needs
• Patient’s overall health
• Existing health issues like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases
• Whether or not fee patient has a disability
• The severity of dental fear or anxiety

Types of Sedation and How Long it Takes to Wear Off

There are four main types of dental sedation. Keep in mind that each type of sedation has different effects and recovery time.

• Nitrous Oxide or laughing gas

It’s through a face mask over the mouth and nose. The sedation creates a numbing and calm effect in less than three minutes, eliminating dental fear and anxiety. You will still be conscious and can respond to your dentist’s inquiries. Fortunately, the sedation effects wear off quickly, as soon as the face mask is removed. The dentist might give you pure oxygen to remove the sedation gas quickly. Nitrous oxide is the only type of sedation where you can drive yourself home after the appointment.

• Oral sedation

With oral sedation, you’ll be given a pill to take orally a few minutes before the procedure. The drug makes you feel drowsy, calm, and relaxed. You’ll still be conscious and can respond to your dentist’s questions. The effects of the sedation can take anywhere from 2 – 8 hours to wear off. Therefore, you’ll need a ride home after the procedure. Contact our dentist for oral sedation in Citrus Heights, CA.

• IV Sedation

IV sedation is administered by a highly skilled and certified dental specialist. The sedation is administered through the vein into the bloodstream and can cause a partial loss of consciousness. After waking up, it might take about 6 – 12 hours for the sedation to wear off. Resting for at least 24 hours is essential before resuming your normal routine.

• General anesthesia

General anesthesia is administered by a certified specialist. It causes a complete loss of consciousness and is primarily used for lengthy and complex dental procedures. After the procedure, it will take about 45 minutes to regain consciousness. The sedation will wear off completely within 12 – 24 hours.

What should you do after dental sedation?

Below are a few tips to promote faster and safe recovery after dental sedation.

• Have someone drive you home. Since most types of sedation take time to wear off, you might still feel some degree of disorientation and confusion after the appointment. For this reason, you should arrange for a ride after your appointment.
• Rest adequately. Deep levels of sedation can take as long as 12 – 24 hours to wear off completely. It’s therefore advisable to wait for at least 24 hours before returning to your normal routine. Still, be sure to stay a little bit active to facilitate blood flow and help you recover quickly.
• Hydrate well. You’ll likely feel incredibly thirsty after your appointment. Drinking water moderately will help jumpstart your body and promote faster recovery.
• Eat manageable foods. An upset stomach and feeling of nausea are common effects of sedation. For the next 24 hours, avoid spicy, sugary, and anything that can cause digestive problems.
• Take your medicine. Make sure you take any medication prescribed by the dentist as instructed.
• Notify your dentist if your symptoms persist. While rare, some patients may experience complications after sedation. Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, allergies, and memory issues. Be sure to notify your dentist if you experience severe or persistent side effects.

Schedule an Appointment Today

Do you need more information about sedation dentistry near you? Contact New Vision Dentistry to speak with our dentist in 95610.