Procedural sedation is the use of medicine to help you feel relaxed, calm and comfortable while a dentist or doctor performs a procedure. It is given and monitored by a trained sedation practitioner, so your dentist or doctor can focus entirely on the treatment.
Many people are surprised to learn that a large number of procedures can be done comfortably under sedation in the practitioner’s own rooms, without a hospital theatre or a general anaesthetic.
How sedation feels
Sedation works on a scale. With lighter sedation you feel deeply relaxed but can still talk and respond. With deeper sedation you are drowsy, comfortable and unlikely to be bothered by what is happening. Many patients remember very little of the procedure afterwards.
Unlike a general anaesthetic, you usually keep breathing on your own and your protective reflexes are maintained. The level of sedation is adjusted to the procedure and to you.
How it is given
Sedation is most often given through a small drip in the arm or hand, so the medicine can be adjusted precisely throughout the procedure. Your sedation practitioner chooses the type and level of sedation after assessing your health and the procedure you are having.
Who gives the sedation
In South Africa, procedural sedation should be provided by a practitioner with the right training who follows the Society of sedation practitioners of South Africa (SOSPOSA) guidelines. At Joburg Sedation, Dr M Khan holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Sedation and Pain Management and always works with a second health practitioner, either a registered nurse or another doctor, so two people monitor you throughout.
What sedation is used for
- Dental treatment for anxious patients, wisdom teeth and implants
- Children who need treatment but cannot cope while awake
- Minor gynaecological, skin, plastic, orthopaedic and ENT procedures done in the doctor’s rooms
- Patients with special needs or a strong gag reflex
The bottom line
Procedural sedation lets you have necessary treatment calmly and comfortably, in a familiar setting, with continuous monitoring by a dedicated team.
Talk to Dr Khan
If you have questions about sedation for your procedure, call or WhatsApp Dr Khan on 071 646 1513, or get in touch here. Dentists and doctors can also book a sedation team for their rooms.
This article is general information and not a substitute for medical advice. Dr Khan assesses every patient individually before sedation.