Oral surgery
Sedation
Sedation helps you stay relaxed during surgery. We describe it by level, and you and Dr. Nair choose together before the day.
The levels
From the lightest to the deepest. The right one depends on the surgery and on your health.
- 01
Step 1: Local anesthetic
The area is numb and you are fully awake. Many wisdom tooth and extraction visits need only this.
- 02
Step 2: Oral sedation
A pill you take before the visit. You stay awake and relaxed, and you need a driver.
- 03
Step 3: IV sedation
Medicine through a vein that leaves you deeply relaxed. You breathe on your own and respond when we speak to you, and you need a driver.
- 04
Step 4: Your choice
Dr. Nair recommends a level and tells you why. You can pick a different one, and she tells you what changes.
Comfort, choices and care
Comfort
Dr. Nair gives sedation under the permit the state dental board issues for each level, listed with her credentials. A trained team member watches your breathing, heart rate and oxygen level the whole time, with monitoring and emergency equipment in the room.
If you wait
Not choosing sedation is always an option. Some people prefer to stay awake, and local anesthetic alone works for many visits. If anxiety is why you have put off surgery, tell us.
Risks and aftercare
You may be groggy or queasy for the rest of the day. Rarely, sedation affects breathing or the heart. We review your health history first, and some conditions mean we plan differently or send you somewhere else. You rest for the day, and an adult stays with you.
How it's billed
Sedation is billed separately from the surgery, and plans cover it in different ways. The written estimate lists it.
How fees work
Questions about sedation
Do I need a driver?
Yes, for oral and IV sedation. An adult drives you home and stays with you for the first hours.
Can I eat that morning?
Not usually. We give you the exact times in writing, and they depend on the level.
Will I remember the surgery?
Memory varies. Some people remember little and some remember more, and we don't promise either.
What if I take other medicines?
Bring a list. We tell you which to take that morning and which to skip.
Provided by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon
Dr. Usha Nair, DDS. Residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery; American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Licensed in Wyoming.