What Is Oral Conscious Sedation?
Oral sedation involves taking a prescription anti-anxiety medication (typically a benzodiazepine) about one hour before your dental appointment. By the time you arrive at our office, you feel deeply relaxed and drowsy. You remain conscious and can respond to your dentist, but you are in a state of profound calm throughout the procedure. It is the deeper of the two sedation dentistry options available at our Metairie office.
How Oral Sedation Eases Dental Anxiety
The medication reduces activity in the areas of your brain responsible for fear and anxiety. While you are not asleep, you enter a twilight-like state where you feel detached from the procedure. Many patients report having little to no memory of their appointment afterward, even though they were responsive during treatment.
Local anesthesia is still used to numb the treatment area, so oral sedation works alongside the same numbing you would receive at any visit. The difference is how the appointment feels: quieter, shorter, and far less tense.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Oral Sedation?
Oral sedation is a strong choice for patients who:
- Experience moderate to severe dental phobia
- Need lengthy or complex procedures
- Want multiple treatments completed in a single visit
- Have difficulty achieving adequate numbing with local anesthesia alone
- Have a strong gag reflex that interferes with treatment
- Have avoided the dentist for years due to fear
Not everyone is a candidate. Certain medical conditions, medications, and pregnancy can rule out oral sedation or change the medication we choose. Your dentist reviews your full health history before prescribing anything, and if oral sedation is not a fit, nitrous oxide may still be an option.
Preparing for Your Oral Sedation Appointment
We provide detailed instructions before your sedation visit. You will need to arrange for a responsible adult to drive you to and from our office. We recommend wearing comfortable clothing and eating only a light meal several hours before your appointment. Your dentist will prescribe the appropriate medication and dosage based on your health history.
Plan for a quiet rest of your day. The medication can leave you drowsy for several hours, so clear your schedule, skip the errands, and let yourself recover at home. Most patients feel back to normal by the next morning.
Safety and Monitoring During Sedation Visits
Your safety comes first. We monitor your oxygen levels, heart rate, and blood pressure throughout the procedure. Our team is trained in sedation protocols and emergency response. We carefully review your medical history and current medications before prescribing any sedation to check for contraindications, and we will only move forward when we are confident the plan is safe for you.
Oral Sedation for Bigger Treatment Plans
Oral sedation shines when there is more work to do than one ordinary visit could comfortably handle. Patients catching up after years away from the dentist often combine fillings, extractions, or oral surgery procedures into fewer, calmer appointments. If cost is part of your hesitation, our financial options include most major insurance plans, Medicaid for children, and financing through CareCredit and Sunbit.
Why Choose Louisiana Dental Center in Metairie for Sedation?
We are a locally owned practice at 3301 Veterans Blvd., Suite 203, and we have built our office around the patients other offices sometimes overlook: the nervous ones. Our team never judges how long it has been since your last visit. We welcome walk-ins, offer same-day emergency appointments, and keep Saturday morning hours so treatment can fit your life. Tell us how you feel about the dentist, and we will meet you where you are.
Frequently Asked Questions About Oral Sedation
Deeper Relaxation on Veterans Boulevard
Oral sedation helps anxious patients get the care they need. Call 504-833-6825.
Come See Us
Conveniently Located in Metairie
3301 Veterans Blvd., Suite 203Metairie, LA 70002504-833-6825
- Mon–Thu8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- Friday8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- Saturday8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- SundayClosed