Sedation

Not all dentists offer sedation, and here at Olive Tree Dental, our sedation dentist is highly experienced, and will monitor your blood pressure, oxygen saturation, heart rate, respiratory rate, and reaction to the sedative, to ensure everything is running safely and smoothly at all times.

Many patients have sedation just once and never require it again, having overcome their phobia. Most commonly, dental phobia is born out of a negative experience with the dentist in the past. Once we have demonstrated to you that you are in competent, safe and experienced hands, we’re sure you will feel newly confidence about dentist visits going forwards.

• Anyone who has been putting off dental care for years due to anxiety.
• Individuals who would like their treatments completed in as few visits as possible.
• Dislike the sounds, smells associated with a dental practice.
• Have severe gag reflex making it challenging for dentists to ensure a smooth treatment process.
• Have had bad experiences with dentists in the past.
• Want to be treated in a relaxed, caring, and non-judgmental environment.

Patients generally don’t feel pain when using IV Sedation, although that doesn’t mean you won’t feel anything at all; patients can react differently. Some patients have no recollection of the procedure or treatment, whilst other patients remember short snippets. However, any minor discomfort you might feel will be easy to forget, thanks to the relaxing effect Sedation creates.

There are several similarities and several differences between Oral Sedation & IV Sedation. However, at OTD, we prefer using IV Sedation, and this is what we generally use on the majority of our patients.

Similarities:

• Both will put the patient in a more relaxed state with possible drowsiness or a sleepy-like feeling.
• Both can produce some form of amnesia, so the patient may or may not recollect the procedure or parts of it.
• Both will dilute the patient’s perception or awareness of any noisy dental equipment, injections required or the discomfort of having an open jaw for lengthy periods of time.

Differences:

• Oral Sedation can last for longer than required, whereas IV Sedation can end as promptly as the procedure is complete so the patient feels more like themselves sooner, requiring less downtime.
• It can take longer for Oral Sedation to take effect (1-2 hours), whereas with IV Sedation (2-10 minutes).
• It is easier to adapt to an emergency situation and reverse sedation with IV versus Oral Sedation. In oral sedation, each person will metabolise oral medications differently, so it is not as easy to predict what it will take to make the patient comfortable. Also, it can happen that a patient can be over-sedated with oral sedation and, therefore, proves more challenging to reverse since an IV is not started.

In summary, whilst Oral Sedation is an acceptable way to provide relaxation to the patient, IV Sedation is more efficient, does not last as long, and is ultimately more safer than other forms of sedation. This is also why the majority of our clinical team, such as Oral Surgeons, use IV sedation as a preferred method of sedation for our patients.

Please see our fee guide to view detailed costs of Sedation at Olive Tree Dental. As an initial indication, our prices start from £365 p/h we believe everyone should have access to successful and effective treatment – that’s why we offer 0% finance* to help you spread the cost of treatment.

As we are a member-based practice, we reward patients who prioritise their oral health and hygiene, by offering 10% off treatments, when you become an Olive Tree Dental member, and selecting one of our many affordable plans.

Our prices are set with the following in mind:

• The high quality of the products and technology used.
• The extensive skill of our dental professionals & clinical team.
• The trusted labs we work with to create outstanding dental restorations.
• The high standard of care that is delivered throughout the patient journey.
• The types of treatments that are made available.

We cannot comment on what other practices in Reading offer, each practice is different, but we value the trust our patients place in our hands. Rest assured at Olive Tree Dental we treat our patients with the utmost care and our aim is to have you smiling confidently.

*Terms and conditions apply. Written quotations are available on request from Wesleyan Bank Limited.
Credit facilities are subject to status and affordability checks and only available to UK residents over the age of 18.