The main reason that patients put off having dental treatment is fear or phobia of the dentist. We fully understand that visiting the dentist can make your nervous, but do not believe this should stop you from seeking treatment that could revolutionise your life. That is why for nervous patients we offer treatment under conscious sedation.
Dr Madruga currently leads a highly-experienced team in the field of conscious sedation, and accepts referrals from other dentists whose patients would benefit from treatment under sedation. He has successfully helped to develop many conscious sedation referral clinics across the UK.
There are many reasons behind fear of the dentist or dental treatment, including a bad experience in the past; fear of the sights, sounds or smells of the surgery; fear of needles; and general fear with a non-specific cause. The good news is that conscious sedation can help with all of these fears, meaning you can get the treatment you need without the stress.
Conscious sedation is not like the general anaesthetic you receive in hospital. Using either oral or intravenous sedation, you will be awake but unaware during treatment, feeling very relaxed and not experiencing any pain, discomfort or nervousness. The vast majority of patients forget all that happens during treatment. Conscious sedation is extremely safe and well-tested, and is only administered by our experienced practitioners.
If you opt for treatment under conscious sedation, you will need to bring a friend or family member with you to your appointment to make sure you get home safely and to stay with you, because you will not be able to drive after receiving sedatives (recent changes to the law make driving under the influence of such drugs a criminal offence) and you may feel woozy for a time after treatment has finished. Additional pre and postoperative instructions will be provided before your sedation appointment.
If you are nervous about treatment and think you may benefit from conscious sedation, please let us know at your initial consultation, so that we can outline the options available to you.
