Conscious Sedation

Thank goodness you don't have to open your mouth when blogging. My mouth is really sore and my head feels like somebody whacked me in the jaw with a baseball bat. Yesterday was my visit to the dentist and I was really, really, afraid. I had to undergo some root and teeth extractions and my dentist suggested conscious sedation; I wasn't entirely convinced by the whole thing, I mean is there anything bar knocking you out completely that could possibly take away the pain inflicted by the dentist. Well I am about to share the truth with you, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

The anesthetist was great, what a magic guy (thank you Dr. McQueen); he explained to me step by step what he was going to do and how my body and I should react; if at any stage I feel uncomfortable or in pain I should let him know. I was ushered into the the dentist's room and asked to make myself comfy on her chair. There were way more gadgets in there than what I am used to seeing; a heart monitor, blood pressure gauge and some funny blue gadget that he had on my lap. I was attached to all the machines via electrodes and a drip like needle was inserted into my arm through which he slowly injected his potion into body. Euphoria, my head began to spin and as I was talking I could feel my speech slow down and the whole world felt like it was in slow motion, wavy euphoric drunken slow motion. I recall thinking to myself "I wonder if this is how a drug addict feels when they get high?" Not bad.

I was able to feel the dentists hands in my mouth and on my face and I could hear her asking me questions, giving me certain instructions and telling when I would "feel a bit of pressure"..HUH Is THAT what they call it?? But thankfully, a "bit of pressure" IS all I felt. I cannot tell you how relieving it is to sit there waiting to feel the most excruciating pain you can imagine (OK, that I can imagine) and all you can feel is some tugging and pulling accompanied with a bit of pressure. It almost reminds me of when I had my C-Sections; I could feel the pressure of the doctor cutting me open and I could feel them tugging and pulling as they took the baby out but I didn't feel any of the pain associated with it.

It is all a bit weird for me, but I am, however, very grateful to the most fantastic person in the whole world that discovered this pain free method of dentistry...THANK YOU...whoever you are.

Once the dentist was done, the drip was removed as well as all the necessary appliances plugged onto my body and I felt myself slowly returning to a state of consciousness, of complete awareness, almost as soon as the medication was removed. I was able to sit up on my own after a few minutes and 15 minutes later I walked out of the rooms. I am certain that they send you home as quickly as possible so that they are not subjected to the cursing and groaning once the numbness in your mouth wears off and what feels like collagen overfilled lips, goes away. Now that is a different story.

I am doing well, considering. The pain relief and medication is really helping and I am just finding it a little awkward to talk at the moment but as they say, "this too shall pass."