Is Oral Sedation Safe?
I had scheduled for an appointment with a dentist and was planning to use oral sedation. A friend told me it made her dental appointments a breeze. But, I just saw a post on Facebook about someone in Arizona who died because of dental sedation. Now I’m worried it is not as safe as my friend made it sound.
Laurie
Dear Laurie,
I’m aware of the story you saw on Facebook. In fact, a colleague from Arizona (not the one from the story) did some real digging into it because something didn’t seem right with the way it was being reported. None of the articles went into much detail, except to say that he suffered a brain injury during routine implant surgery and died.
After doing some digging, my colleague discovered that the patient was given general anesthesia, which is the riskiest of all sedation options. That particular practice doesn’t even offer oral conscious sedation, which is much safer, and the type you would be getting.
That isn’t the only factor in this case. It also appears that the patient had smoked cannabis just before his appointment. Cannabis increases the risk of throat spasms, which can cut off the airway during anesthesia. The dentist was faulted for not being aware of that, but he insists that he was unaware the patient had taken any before the appointment.
I sometimes get questions from patients that aren’t mine about whether they should tell their dentist that they’re on methadone or some other drug. This is why my answer to that is always yes, it’s always important to tell medical practitioners about all medications you are on, including over-the-counter, and even alcohol. Sometimes two perfectly good medications have horrible interactions with one another.
What About Oral Conscious Sedation?
While it is still important you tell your dentist about everything you take, OCS is a much safer dental sedation option. Unlike I.V. sedation or general anesthesia, oral conscious sedation is administered by a pill. You will be sleepy and completely relaxed. You can choose to stay awake throughout the procedure if you want, or you can use the opportunity for a nap. It’s up to you.
It is strong enough that you will need someone to drive you to and from your appointment, and to stay with you for a few hours after you get home. You want to be lucid and steady on your feet before you navigate life without someone there to keep an eye on you. But, this is a very safe sedation that is completely unrelated to the case you saw on Facebook.
Most people who use OCS find it changes their lives in a good way, the way your friend discovered. People who’ve been afraid of the dentist for years are suddenly able to get caught up on their oral health.
This blog is brought to you by the compassionate dentists in Lafayette, LA, Drs. Foreman and Thimmesch.
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