Author: PV Smiles Reem Kidess | Posted on with comments
What makes you loopy after wisdom teeth removal? You may have wondered about this after watching at least one or two videos on social media of a patient coming out of their sedated state and acting weird. Maybe you’ve been a support person to someone and witnessed this phenomenon yourself. The person is awake, interacting, and communicating, but their conversation or behavior may be slightly bizarre. Perhaps they’ve just described their recent visit to outer space. Now it’s your turn to get your wisdom teeth removed, and you’re wondering if this will be your same embarrassing fate. You may be surprised. (Hint: Not always.)
Related post: About IV Sedation Wisdom Teeth Removal
What makes you loopy after wisdom teeth removal?
Is it the local pain medication, or does IV sedation make you loopy? It’s unlikely the pain medication. Surgery dental procedures such as wisdom teeth removal or bone grafting will almost always use IV sedation. The sedation medication will affect each person differently, so it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be unabashedly professing your love to the attractive hygienist. At the same time, your best friend pulls out their phone to record it. (But it also doesn’t mean you won’t!) While the silly stories are out there, most patients won’t be confessing their secret fantasies or dark secrets under the influence of IV sedation. Instead, they’ll be relaxing in the chair, unaware of the dental procedures they were once terrified to face.
Does IV sedation make you act weird?
IV sedation can make you act weird or at least a little groggy. This is because the medication administered through IV sedation has a relaxing and calming effect. But unfortunately, it also disrupts your short-term memory processing. The medication sedation dentist most commonly use are from the benzodiazepine class of drugs. Benzodiazepines are psychoactive drugs that lower brain activity to induce a relaxed state. Benzodiazepine drugs are commonly prescribed to treat anxiety, in general.
Related post: What Does IV Sedation Feel Like?
What if I say something weird?
One of the side effects or benefits of IV sedation is that because it affects your short-term memory, you won’t remember much, if anything, of the encounter. For example, if you say something weird, your friend or family member driving you home might get a bit of a chuckle, but you’ll probably take a nap at home and won’t recall anything you said or did when you become fully awake. Therefore, the highly embarrassing scenarios you’ve watched online are not a good representation of how the general population reacts to dental IV sedation.
How long does IV sedation make you loopy?
Since the medication is administered through an IV directly into your bloodstream, the effects are felt almost instantly. However, once the IV is removed, you will still feel loopy and off balance. It may take up to 20 minutes to wake up enough from your relaxed state to be led safely to your car. It will not be safe to drive yourself home. You should also avoid signing any legal documents for at least 24 hours. Bring someone with you to your procedure, or at least have them come pick you up after you’re finished. Most of the groggy side effects of the medication should wear off within 4 to 6 hours, and most patients go home to nap afterward. It’s advisable to have a responsible adult looking after you for about 12 hours post-procedure, and you’ll be able to resume your typical work the next day.
Is IV sedation a good choice for me?
IV sedation is one of many options sedation dentists offer to ease patient anxiety. Whether or not IV sedation is a good choice for you will depend on many factors that you’ll need to discuss directly with your dentist. If you’re worried about whether IV sedation will make you loopy or embarrass you, it certainly will make you sleepy. However, this shouldn’t be a deterrent from discussing this as an option with your sedation dentist, especially for procedures such as wisdom teeth removal. IV sedation may also be used in combination with other sedation methods. Your treatment plan depends primarily on your health history and sedation needs.
Consult with a sedation dentist. Schedule your consultation today – Scottsdale, AZ
Dr. Reem Kidess works with hundreds of patients just like you who are apprehensive about seeing the dentist in Scottsdale or are fearful of the more invasive procedures such as wisdom teeth removal. If you’ve been avoiding the dentist for any reason and want to explore sedation options in the Paradise Valley / Scottsdale, AZ area, you’ve come to the right place. Dr. Kidess has a compassionate team of professionals who understand the complexities of anxiety and odontophobia and have the training and tools to help you on your way to better dental health. Check out what our patients are saying.
Not ready to walk into an office? We’ve got you covered. Schedule your virtual consultation online today.
