Your Guide to Dental Sedation
Find out how sedation can make dental treatment more comfortable if you feel anxious, the types available, and what to expect on the day.
Urgent help: who to contact
Call 999 in an emergency.
Contact your dental team straight away if you feel unwell after sedation. If you cannot reach them, call NHS 111. Sedation must only be given by a dental team with the right training and qualifications.
What is dental sedation?
Dental sedation uses medicine to help you feel calm and relaxed during treatment. You are also less aware of what is going on. It is not the same as a general anaesthetic. You stay awake (conscious) and can follow instructions. But you feel deeply relaxed, and you are unlikely to remember much about the treatment afterwards.
Sedation is not just for people who feel anxious. It can also help people who gag very easily. It can help people who need long or complex treatment. It can also help some people with special needs.
Types of dental sedation
The most common types used by UK dental practices are:
- Inhalation sedation (relative analgesia) — you breathe in nitrous oxide (laughing gas) through a small nosepiece. Within minutes you feel calm and pleasant. The effects wear off quickly once the gas is stopped. You can usually drive and get back to normal soon afterwards. It suits mild to moderate worry (anxiety).
- Intravenous (IV) sedation — a calming drug (usually midazolam) is put straight into a vein. This is most often in the back of your hand or arm. It gives a deeper effect. Most people remember little or nothing of the treatment. You will need a responsible adult to take you home and stay with you for the rest of the day. You must not drive for 24 hours.
- Oral sedation — a calming tablet you take before your appointment. Its effect is harder to predict than IV sedation, but it suits some cases. You must not drive after taking it.
Am I suitable for sedation?
Your dental team will check your health history with care before they offer sedation. It may not be right for you if:
- You have some heart or lung problems
- You have severe sleep apnoea
- You are allergic to sedation drugs
- You have a history of drug or alcohol dependence (in some cases)
- You are pregnant
Tell your dental team the truth about all your medicines and health problems. This helps keep you safe.
What to expect on the day
For IV sedation or a tablet, there are special steps to follow before you come in. Your practice will give you these in writing. Follow them exactly. In general:
- Eating and drinking — Your practice will tell you whether you need to change what you eat or drink before sedation. Most people having conscious sedation can have a light meal on the day, but avoid alcohol and large meals. If you have been given fasting instructions, follow them exactly.
- Arrange for a responsible adult to come with you to and from the appointment. They should stay with you for the rest of the day.
- Wear comfortable, loose clothes. Choose a short sleeve, or one that rolls up easily, so the team can reach a vein in your arm (IV access).
- Do not drink alcohol for 24 hours before your appointment
- Tell the team about all the medicines you take. Some may need to be adjusted.
- Your usual medicines — take your routine medicines on the day as normal unless your dental team or doctor tells you otherwise. If you have diabetes, ask the sedation team how to manage your medicines and meals on the day.
After IV sedation, you will rest at the practice until you are well enough to leave. For 24 hours, you must not drive, use machinery, make important decisions or drink alcohol.
Risks and possible complications
Dental sedation in the UK follows strict safety rules. It has a long, proven safety record when trained staff give it. But all sedation has some risk.
Common:
- Feeling drowsy for several hours after IV sedation
- Memory loss (amnesia). You may not remember the treatment at all. This is meant to happen.
- A mild headache after inhalation sedation
- Bruising where the IV needle went in
Uncommon:
- Feeling sick (nausea) after sedation
- The sedation may not be enough. Some people need more medicine than others, and a top-up may be given. Sometimes the treatment cannot be finished with sedation alone.
Rare:
- An allergic reaction to sedation drugs
- Breathing slows down for a short time (respiratory depression). The team watches you closely the whole time. They have the equipment and training to manage this.
Questions to ask your dental team
- Which type of sedation suits me best?
- Which medicines can I take on the morning of my appointment?
- Will all my treatment be done in one session while I am sedated?
- How long should I expect to be at the practice?
- Is there anything in my health history that could change how sedation affects me?
This leaflet is for general information only and does not replace professional dental advice. It is intended to support — not replace — the discussion with your dental team about your individual options, risks, and treatment plan. Treatment outcomes vary between patients depending on individual circumstances. Your dental team will confirm exact fees and what is suitable for your specific circumstances before you agree to any treatment.
Sources
- Standards for Conscious Sedation in the Provision of Dental Care, version 1.1. Intercollegiate Advisory Committee for Sedation in Dentistry (IACSD), 2015, updated 2020.
- Conscious Sedation in Dentistry, 3rd edition, reviewed December 2022. Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme (SDCEP), 2017.
- Relaxation and sedation. Oral Health Foundation.
Links checked 18 October 2026.
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Related leaflets
For clinicians: IV Conscious Sedation Record notes template, Inhalation Sedation (RA / N2O) notes template, Sedation Pre-Assessment notes template.
Learn more about dental documentation on our blog or see Nosht pricing.