How To Shake Off The “Grog” From Sedation Dentistry
Sedation dentistry is an excellent tool for calming anxious patients and helping them fall asleep for major procedures. If you are about to be sedated for the first time, you should know that you will be very groggy when you start to come out of sedatives you were given. This is totally normal, and precisely why your dentist requests that you have someone to drive you home. However, if you want to speed up the metabolization and elimination of the sedatives so that you can feel less fuzzy-headed and more alert, you can do one or more of the following.
Walk Home
If your dentist's office is not far from your house, you could walk home. If you are able to walk without stumbling or swaying (which would probably draw the attention of the local police!), you can. Exercise of any kind chases medications out of your system rather quickly, causing you to feel more alert and in control of your body. This is only the case of conscious sedation, which is typically what your dentist will use. Just be sure to clear this plan with your dentist and have someone walk with you for safety.
Detox
Detox drinks and activated charcoal tablets both draw the sedatives out of your body. Charcoal tablets have been used a long time for drawing toxins out, but these tablets also have been used for drug overdoses. Activated charcoal supports better kidney function, and detox drinks work to flush the body of impurities. Try one or both to see how they work for you.
Drink Lots of Water
Drinking lots of water not only dilutes the concentration of sedatives in your body, but it also helps flush the sedatives from your system. In fact, a well-hydrated body bounces back from sedation dentistry faster than someone who is dehydrated. The water will help "defog" your brain too.
Avoid Caffeine
You would think that caffeine would be the perfect counter-medication for sedatives, but it is not. The way that caffeine works in the body has little to do with waking you up, and more to do with blocking the body's natural sedatives. Most people who are over-tired or recovering from sedation will only feel more tired, not less.
Additionally, caffeine is a diuretic. If you are already dehydrated, the caffeine will push out remaining fluids from the body, making you more dehydrated. As previously mentioned, a dehydrated person will have a tougher time coming out of sedation. Find other ways to shake off the sedatives the dentist gave you first; then you can drink coffee, tea, or soda.
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