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Conscious Sedation

We provide IV Conscious Sedation in adults and children both in dental and out of hospital clinics by titrating IV sedatives in combination with appropriate analgesia if needed. During the procedure the patient is able to respond if needed but will be in a sleepy (drowsy) state, hence the patient is very unlikely to recall any events during the procedure.

If you are concerned that a patient or parent’s anxiety might get in the way of the procedure that needs to be done, then sedation might be the solution. Our expert team are here to help answer your questions and book appointments. Once booked our team will conduct a telephone consultation before their appointment to discuss their MH and instructions.

When Is Conscious Sedation Used ?

Sedation is a perfect solution for patients who feel anxious or panicked about their procedure. It is also an option for patients who struggle to cope with minor procedures, e.g. learning difficulties, autism and dementia.

How Is Conscious Sedation Different To General Anaesthetic?

With conscious sedation the patient will always be able to breathe, cough, move and swallow. These reflexes stay intact, and we monitor the patient very closely to avoid the patient falling into a deep sedation.

On the other hand, General Anaesthetic (GA) can only be administered in a hospital setting. Here the patient is completely unconscious, paralysed and intubated. Full theatre staff and anaesthetic staff are required for GA.

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For Children

Some children are too anxious to face the dentist and might not be suitable for inhalation sedation, e.g. after an attempt at inhalation sedation has failed.

We can screen children who might be suitable for IV sedation and this would avoid an invasive procedure, like general anaesthesia, for a minor procedure like an extraction/filling of a deciduous tooth.

Since 1999, general anaesthesia may only be done in hospital settings, therefore in an operating theatre with an anaesthetist who would have to intubate and ventilate the child.

IV sedation is less invasive than a general anaesthetic and the recovery is much quicker. We offer IV sedation for suitable children with a highly experienced and equipped team.

We offer IV sedation to suitable children. IV sedation is successful for the majority of anxious children, but dentists usually offer gas and air as a first option.

This service would include a telephone consultation with the parent and spending an hour with the nurse before the appointment to build a rapport and apply numbing cream.

We will also spend time with the child as they recover, following the procedure, before they can go home.

As IV paediatric sedations are more time consuming, and also require the presence of a nurse, the fees are slightly higher than for adults

Patients Information

Conscious sedation is a combination of medicines to help you relax (a sedative) and to block pain (an anaesthetic) during a medical or dental procedure. You are likely to fall asleep during the procedure and highly unlikely to remember having the procedure. Sedation is safer than general anaesthetic as you can still breathe, cough, swallow and move during the procedure.

Concious sedation is therefore the safest option if you do not want to be awake during minor procedures out of hospital.

Check This Out

Ultra-short acting sedation!


For a small additional fee per hour we can now offer this newer Benzodiazepine, which rapidly gets broken down in the tissues, and not dependent on kidney or liver function. The patient will still need an appropriate escort to take them home. Please contact us for more information about this.

Frequently Asked Questions

Patients who would like to be sedated are welcome to ask their doctor or dentist to contact us for more details.
Dentists, Doctors or Oral surgeons who wish to perform minor procedures under sedation are welcome to contact us for more details.

Any minor procedure can be done under conscious sedation:

  • Dental: extractions, root canal treatment, implants, fillings, periodontal treatment and crown preparations
  • Non-dental: any minor or non-invasive procedure
The length of sedation is tailored to suit the length of appointment. This can be anything from one to eight hours.

Patients who are healthy and have well controlled medical conditions e.g. diabetes, hypertension and asthma, are suitable for sedation (ASA I and II). Patients with significant or uncontrolled conditions e.g. severe heart disease, morbid obesity, need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you are unsure or have unusual cases and we will advise appropriately.

The aim of sedation is not to put you to sleep, but to make you drowsy/sleepy. Most people naturally fall asleep during the procedure. With conscious sedation you are able to communicate throughout the procedure but afterwards you will not recall anything.
Although it is rarely possible to remember following a conscious sedation, advanced sedation involves administration of analgesia and amnesics, which prevents patients having any unpleasant memories.
Conscious sedation is completely safe. Our doctors have done many sedations and know how to treat any emergency. If they are not sure they can always ask a more experienced sedation practitioner.
No, this is very rare. It is very unlikely that you will feel sick after the sedation, but by starving for four hours prior to the sedation it will make this even less likely.
Charges are based on the dentist/doctor’s estimated procedure duration and may vary depending on duration and distance. We are happy to send the practice an instant quote upon request. When calculating the appointment time an additional 30 minutes needs to be added to the treatment time for recovery time. Recovery could be even longer with procedures longer than four hours.
Payment can be made to Advanced Sedation directly or, if your dentist/surgery prefers you can pay them and we can invoice the surgery.
Our doctors have plenty of experience and a network of supporting colleagues if they need further advice.
Our doctors are registered with the General Medical Council (GMC), Society for the Advancement of Anaesthesia in Dentistry (SAAD) and members of the Association of Dental Anaesthetics (ADA). They all attend regular Continued Professional Development (CPD) as this is part of the GMC requirements for Revalidation. Some have a background in Emergency Medicine and others in Anaesthetics. Either way they have experience in sedation since working in various hospitals.
After the procedure, it is essential to have an adult present to take you home and stay with you for 12 hours. During the first few hours, please do not sign any legal documentation or operate any heavy machinery.

For safety reasons everyone is required to have an escort.

Advanced Sedation Ltd have always required an escort, this is reflected on our instructions to patients as well as requiring an escort signature before discharge. We sincerely apologise about the incorrect information that was previously shown on our website.

Don't let patients suffer awake, If they can be sedated.

Speak to us to find out how we can help to put your patient at ease

What Our Patients Say

What our patients think about us

I’d just like to thank dr Swart for looking after me so well , I was so so scared and he took all that away. Thank you so much

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Ms J H-
Advance Dental Clinic Chelmsford-22ND SEPT 2020

Dr Rudi was wonderful. I was obviously nervous on arrival, he put me completely at ease and I would without hesitation use him again and highly recommend him.

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Ms D H
Forma Smiles- February

10 out of 10 from start to finish. Would definitely recommend this to anybody and will definitely do the same without any hesitation.

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Mr G N
Brickstables- August

It worked so well I couldn't remember a thing.

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Mr T S
Dental Kind- Billericay-14th Oct 2020

I felt very comfortable with Dr Smit, you can tell she has understanding and reassurance for her patients.

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Ms K H-
Billericay Dental Centre (January 2020)

11/10 for Dr Swart, Very professional, friendly and i didn't feel a thing :-)

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Ms K M
Winning Smiles, Romford (January 2020)

My whole experience was excellent

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Ms K R
Winning Smiles-July

For someone who has a real fear of dental procedures, I felt completely relaxed and at ease.

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Ms B H
Together Dental Braintree-13th Oct 2020

We have worked with Dr Rudi and his team at Advanced Sedation Ltd for several years. It has been an absolutely pleasure - their service is professional, efficient and we have excellent outcomes. We use them for routine dentistry as well as more longer procedures. Our patients always give great feedback. Their online booking system makes life so much easier for coordinating appointments.

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Dr Sunil Chudasama
Principal Dentist, @DentalKind