Sedation

Helping you feel calm during your dental treatment

At Cheltenham and Cotswold Dental, we understand that some patients are worried about visiting the dentist, or undergoing a particular dental treatment. It is a common fear, but can cause patients to avoid attending their regular appointments and having vital treatment to protect their oral health. We can help with a range of ways to minimise your anxiety and enable you to feel more comfortable in our practice.

Intravenous sedation

Intravenous sedation is a completely safe and very effective way to make you feel relaxed and anxiety-free while undergoing dental treatment. You remain conscious throughout, and able to respond to questions, but are far less aware of the procedure happening. Most patients have little to no recollection of the treatment itself once it has finished.

We administer the IV sedation through a vein in the back of your hand, which allows us to carefully monitor the level of sedation used. It only takes a short amount of time to take effect and begin to calm you so your dental treatment can begin. We keep a close eye on you throughout the process to ensure everything is on track. Once your treatment is complete, the effects of the intravenous sedation take a while to wear off, so it is best to have someone to take you home afterwards.

Inhalation sedation for children

We understand that children often feel worried about visiting the dentist, and can feel scared at the prospect of a particular treatment. Our gentle, kind and friendly approach is designed to help our younger patients feel at ease in our care, adapting our techniques to suit their needs and helping them understand the procedure in as much or little detail as is appropriate.

If your child is particularly anxious or frightened, we can offer inhalation sedation treatment. This is administered via a mask over the nose, enabling a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen to be breathed in and begin to help your child feel more relaxed and willing to accept treatment. The sedation takes only a few minutes to take effect and your child will remain conscious throughout. Many patients describe the feeling as ‘floating’ and it is common to experience a tingling sensation in the feet and hands. Once treatment is complete, the effects of the sedation fade quickly.

The Wand – pain free anaesthesia

At Cheltenham and Cotswold Dental, there is no longer any need to feel nervous about the prospect of local anaesthetic administered via a needle. We are proud to offer a different method, with The Wand enabling anaesthetic to be delivered in a completely pain free way.

This extremely popular system uses STA, or Single Tooth Anaesthesia, to provide an enhanced patient experience. The advanced technology ensures that only the affected tooth is numbed, rather than the whole area as is the case with the traditional needle. Far less time is needed for recovery, and you can return to your daily routines soon after treatment. The Wand is particularly useful for more nervous patients, as any need for needles is removed and it gives a comfortable and positive solution.

Our sedation dentist – Dr Gill Kemp

At Cheltenham and Cotswold Dental, our sedation services are carried out by Dr Gill Kemp. Gill has a calm and caring manner, and is very experienced in treating extremely anxious and dental phobic patients. She is passionate about helping both adults and children overcome their fears and accept dental treatment, using sedation where appropriate.

More about Dr Gill Kemp

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