Victoria implant sedation, choosing how aware you are
The site is fully numbed with local anaesthetic whatever else you choose. Implant sedation is a separate decision about how aware and how relaxed you want to be during the appointment, and it does not change the treatment plan in any way.
Local anaesthetic alone numbs the site so you feel pressure and movement rather than sharpness. Most single implant placements are done this way, and people drive themselves home afterwards. It is the default rather than the minimum.
Inhalation sedation adds a light, quickly reversible relaxation through a nose mask; you stay awake and responsive and can usually drive later. Intravenous sedation goes deeper, and most people remember very little of the appointment afterwards. It needs an escort and a clear day.
Which sedation suits depends on you and on the length of the appointment. A long All-on-4 Implants case leans toward deeper sedation; a routine Single Tooth Implant often does not need any. Raise it at the Implant Consultation rather than on the day.
Comfort options
How it works
Arranging implant sedation, in four steps
Say so early
Mention it at the consultation. Sedation changes how the appointment is booked and how long you need to set aside.
Medical check
We go through your history and medications. Some conditions and drugs change which option is appropriate.
Prepare the day
Fasting instructions where they apply, an escort arranged for IV, and no driving or work commitments afterwards.
Monitored throughout
You are monitored during the appointment and observed afterwards until you are ready to be taken home.
Being honest
Dental anxiety is common, and sedation answers it
A large share of people who need implants have been avoiding dentists for years, often because of something that happened decades ago. That is worth telling us, because it changes how the appointment is arranged, not because you should feel obliged to explain yourself.
What we will not do is tell you a procedure is comfortable when it is not, or promise you will feel nothing. What we can do is numb the site properly, offer sedation, and set out honestly what the days afterwards are like, which is on Recovery And Aftercare. The shape of the appointment itself is on Implant Surgery Day, and the honest risks on Implant Risks.
AlwaysLocal
Drive laterInhalation
Escort neededIV
Related pages
The Victoria appointment around the sedation
What is happening while you are in the chair, and what follows.
You will feel pressure and vibration, because local anaesthetic blocks sharp sensation rather than touch. Most people describe it as strange rather than distressing. If anything does become uncomfortable during the appointment, say so and more anaesthetic can be given.
Not asleep in the sense of a general anaesthetic. You remain able to respond, but most people remember little or nothing of the appointment afterwards. It is a different thing from being unconscious, and safer for it.
After local anaesthetic alone, yes. After inhalation sedation, usually after a short recovery period. After IV sedation, no; you need someone to take you home and stay with you. We confirm this when booking so it is not a problem on the morning.
Yes, and it appears as its own line on the plan rather than being folded into the treatment fee. Inhalation costs less than intravenous. You can also change your mind later, in either direction, as long as we know in advance.
It is common and it is not something to apologise for. Tell us at the consultation and we will arrange the appointment around it: longer slots, sedation, and stopping when you need to. Plenty of implant patients start exactly there.
Victoria patients
What Victoria patients say about comfort
★★★★★4.9· 118 reviews on Google
★★★★★
Avoided dentists for years. Chose sedation and remember almost nothing. That is the only reason it got done.
H. Waverley
IV sedation, Victoria
★★★★★
Light sedation through the mask was enough for me. Drove home an hour later.
H. Kovács
Inhalation, Langford
★★★★★
Went with just the numbing. Pressure and noise but nothing sharp, exactly as described.
I. Suzuki
Local only, Colwood
★★★★
Full arch so it was a long session. Sedation made a four hour appointment feel like twenty minutes.
J. Delacroix
Long appointment, Saanich
From the blog
Victoria implant guides: sedation, surgery day and healing
Say what worries you before booking sedation in Victoria
If the appointment itself is the barrier rather than the treatment, raise it at the consultation. Sedation is arranged in advance because it changes the booking, the preparation and whether you need someone with you.
