Oral Sedation Dentistry’s roots can be traced all the way back to the days of using whiskey to help take the edge off of dental pain. Thankfully, modern medicine had made leaps and bounds since then. Advances in science, dentistry, and pharmacology have generated a wide range of options for adding comfort to the dental experience.

Oral sedation, (sedation through the use of pills taken orally) was first regularly used in dentistry in the late 1990s.

Oral sedation dentistry drugs are taken by mouth the night before and the morning of treatment to induce minimal to moderate sedation. Medications may also be administered immediately before the appointment and throughout longer treatments to ensure that the patient’s comfort level is maintained. Oral sedation often leaves a patient with little to no memory of their dental procedure, including the sights, sounds, and smells.

There are no intra-venous tubes or needles and general anaesthetic is not used. As you are completely relaxed and comfortable years of needed dental treatment can be completed in one or two visits.

A companion is required to drive a patient to and from their dental treatment. The medications typically wear off within 24 hours with little to no chance of side effects. All medical conditions, as well as any medications, vitamins, or supplements you are taking should be discussed to ensure the safest and most comfortable dental experience possible.