After discussing your options for being more comfortable during your upcoming tooth extraction, you and your dentist may have decided that oral conscious sedation is the ideal choice for you. If so, use the following three tips to prepare yourself for receiving the sedation:

Clear Your Schedule the Day of Your Procedure

Before the day of your procedure, take a look at your calendar to see if there is anything else schedule during the time after your procedure. If so, you should reschedule or cancel the appointments. Or, if you were planning on returning to work, you probably want to go ahead and take the entire day off.

Although oral conscious sedation is not as strong as the intravenous type, it will still make you groggy and loopy. Your cognitive responses will be diminished, and you will likely want to sleep most of the day, especially if you are very sensitive to sedatives.

Find Someone To Drive You To and From the Appointment

Along with clearing your schedule the day of your procedure, you should also find someone to drive you to and from your appointment. Along with making you sleepy and out of it, the oral sedative will reduce your reaction time, making it unsafe for you to drive.

Also, if you were to get pulled over by the police, you could be charged with driving under the influence of a substance. Even though it is a legal medication, your dentist's orders will include one that specifies you should not drive.

Even if you already have someone lined up to drive you, try to have a backup driver in mind. If your first choice has to cancel, you do not have to worry about rescheduling your procedure if you already have someone else who can take you.

Take Any Pre-Procedure Medication as Instructed

Because oral sedation can take longer to fully take effect, your dentist may give you a prescription for a sedative to take before you arrive for your procedure. If so, make sure you take it at the instructed time. Doing so will ensure that the medicine has taken full effect by the time the dentist starts the procedure.

This pre-procedure sedative also helps you stay relaxed so you are not anxious before your extraction. You will probably be given more once you arrive for your appointment to ensure you are fully relaxed and comfortable.

Using the above tips can help you get prepared for what happens during and after your appointment. If you have any concerns or questions, contact the dentist performing your tooth extraction to receive additional guidance on how to get yourself ready for having the procedure under oral conscious sedation.