Dental treatment under sedation can be an alternative choice. We find that a surprisingly high number of patients that visit our Bristol dental practice are nervous about undergoing dental procedures, often stemming from a childhood experience.

At CK Dental we are skilled at putting nervous patients at ease. Partly this is because we have created a calm and relaxed environment where we can discuss your procedure in full before you make the decision to go ahead. We often find that patients are able to embark on treatment with confidence when it has been fully explained beforehand.

Pain control is another aspect – no dental procedure should be painful with the correct use of pain relief and we use local anaesthetic injections to make sure your treatment is pain-free. However, for those patients that are still anxious about the treatment, then we can offer conscious sedation as an option.

What is conscious sedation?

Referred to sometimes as ‘twilight sedation’, conscious sedation involves putting the patient into a semi-conscious state that allows them to be comfortable throughout their treatment, whether it be simple cleaning or a more invasive, lengthy dental procedure.

Administered by our consultant anaesthetist through oral medication or an IV, this will minimise any discomfort as well as relax you. Your safety is paramount and you are monitored throughout your treatment.

What are the benefits of conscious sedation?

• Recovery is quick after conscious sedation and the majority of patients are able to return home soon after their treatment although we recommend that they are accompanied by a friend or family member
• Often patients do not recall the treatment very clearly afterwards which we find minimises anxiety in the future
• Conscious sedation is very useful for treating patients that have very sensitive teeth, a very strong gag reflex or may have issues with the joints in their jaw and find it hard to open their mouth for extended periods