Conscious sedation for nervous dental patients

Overcome dental fear with sedation options tailored to you

At Queensway Dental Clinic, we’ve spent over 25 years helping nervous dental patients feel calm, safe and supported - using conscious sedation to make visiting the dentist easier for everyone.

At our Billingham clinic alone, we’ve treated more than 100,000 patients who once feared the dentist - many now happily return for regular check-ups. If you’re searching for a dentist near you that offers sedation, we’re here to help you take that first step with confidence.

Nervous Patients

Assisting with
dental anxiety

It is not uncommon to be nervous about dental visits, but it’s important to protect the health of your smile nonetheless! At Queensway Dental we provide conscious sedation options to help anxious patients feel more relaxed and at ease throughout their dental treatments.

During conscious sedation, patients remain fully conscious so we can communicate with them in a calming and supportive manner throughout the procedure. If you (or your loved one) need dental treatment, but are anxious about the visit, you can likely benefit from conscious sedation.

Assisting with dental anxiety

Who can benefit
from conscious sedation?

Conscious sedation can be beneficial for many patients, including:

  • Patients who have strong anxiety about dental visits
  • Patients with a fear of needles in their mouth
  • Patients who have had traumatic dental experiences in the past
  • Patients receiving complex treatments or oral surgery
  • Patients who experience difficulty getting numb with local anaesthetic
  • Patients who cannot open their mouth for extended periods
  • Patients with a strong or sensitive gag reflex
  • Patients with sensitive teeth
  • Patients who dislike the sounds, smells or sensations associated with dental care

During the free consultation for you or your loved one, we can listen to any anxieties or concerns you may have. We can then determine if conscious sedation could be beneficial, and which type of sedation is best.

Who can benefit from conscious sedation?

Inhalation ‘happy air’
conscious sedation

Inhalation conscious sedation uses nitrous oxide mixed with oxygen to create an inhalable sedative air. This air can be breathed in through the nose via a small, soft nose hood.

Happy air is extremely safe, and doesn’t carry the risks of full sedation. You will still be conscious with happy air - it simply reduces sensations of pain and anxiety, and makes you feel a bit sleepy and at-ease.

Once we finish the procedure, the happy air should wear off within fifteen minutes, making it safe to carry on with your day.

Inhalation ‘happy air’ conscious sedation

Intravenous conscious
sedation

Our other option for conscious sedation is intravenous conscious sedation. This is most commonly used for healthy adult patients, and is delivered via a small tube in the back of the hand or arm. The sedative used is called midazolam, and we tailor the amount needed to each patient.

For patients who are anxious about needles, we sometimes advise using inhalation conscious sedation prior to intravenous conscious sedation. We can also use EMLA cream or freeze spray to numb the back of the hand in advance.

Intravenous conscious sedation usually provides a more deep sedative state than happy air, and many patients do not remember the dental procedure at all, even though they are awake. This makes this technique ideal for highly anxious patients aged 18 and over.

Intravenous conscious sedation

We’re here
to help

If you or a loved one feels nervous about visiting the dentist, you're not alone. At Queensway Dental, we offer free, no-obligation consultations - by phone, video or face-to-face - so we can talk through your options, answer your questions, and help ease any dental anxiety with understanding and expert care.

Book a free consultation
We’re here to help