Sedation for nervous patients at

Surbiton Smile Centre

Specialist and general dentist in Surbiton/Kingston/Surrey

Being nervous about going to the dentist affects people in different ways. You may be anxious about specific aspects of dental treatment, or you had unpleasant experiences as a child and are frightened that these will be repeated. Our team of experts at Surbiton Smile Centre is aware of dental phobia in patients, and has extensive experience in dealing with anxiety. We take the following steps to help you:

Timing - We allow you to go at your own pace. You might choose to just have an examination and then an X-ray at the next appointment. It may be that you only feel ready to try sitting in the chair. This way you are facing your fear and gradually overcoming it step by step.

Control - You can take control over the amount of dental work that you are having done with us. It's important that you do not feel pushed further or faster than you can cope with.

Using distraction measurements - You can listen to your own music or watch a DVD via our virtual vision goggles.

Specific concerns - if there are particular things that you are worried about or if you have had a traumatic experience, you should tell us about them.

Sedation- If you are extremely anxious we also offer conscious sedation. This is a very straightforward procedure, which allows you to obtain the treatment you want in comfort with no anxiety. We provide happy gas, oral and intravenous sedation techniques, depending on your level of anxiety. Sedation puts you in a relaxed dream-like state of mind. With this technique you will feel very relaxed and probably will not be able to remember much about the procedure afterwards.

We offer the following types of sedation

Oral Sedation

A common oral sedative is Temazepam, a family of medicines that is used to help a person to sleep (hypnotic). They also have the effect of reducing anxiety. This can be taken the night before your appointment in order for you to have an undisturbed night's sleep and also an hour before the treatment begins. As this sedative makes a person drowsy, a patient must be accompanied by a responsible adult to act as a chaperone. This method of sedation is very useful in that the method of administration is simple (taking a tablet); however, with this method, the level of sedation is difficult to predict and control, as this depends on the rate at which the individual metabolises the medicine.

Inhalation Sedation

This is also known as "gas and air". It is a mixture of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and oxygen. You breathe it in through a mask that is placed over your nose. When your treatment is finished, the sedative will wear off after a few deep breaths and the gases leave your body quickly.

Intravenous sedation

If you have this sort of sedation, a sedative drug will be injected through a fine plastic tube (cannula) into a vein. This is usually on the back of your hand. This type of sedation is very effective. You will need somebody to take you home afterwards and you will not be able to drive or go to work until the following day. You probably will not remember the procedure.

For more information please call us on:

                                    0208 33 99 333

0% Finace is available on all dental treatments.