"I swear I could even hear the clock ticking in the waiting room... talk about relaxing, right?"
Haha, yep, been there! My daughter had laughing gas for her extraction, and it was anything but chill. She described it as feeling like she was hyper-aware of everything—every footstep, every whisper from the reception area. IV sedation was a total game changer for us. She woke up surprised it was over already, asking when they'd start. Definitely recommend it if nitrous wasn't your thing either.
Interesting, I've been wondering about this myself. I've only ever had laughing gas, and honestly, it didn't do much for me either. Like your daughter, I felt super alert—could hear the dentist's tools clinking around and even the receptionist answering phones down the hall. Not exactly relaxing.
"IV sedation was a total game changer for us. She woke up surprised it was over already, asking when they'd start."
That sounds pretty ideal, but I'm curious... did she feel groggy or nauseous afterward? I've heard mixed things about IV sedation recovery, and that's what's kept me hesitant. Laughing gas might not have been perfect, but at least I could drive myself home afterward. How long did it take her to feel totally normal again?
I totally get your hesitation about IV sedation. I've had both laughing gas and IV sedation, and honestly, IV sedation was a much better experience for me overall. Like you, laughing gas didn't really relax me—I was still hyper-aware of everything going on around me, which kind of defeated the purpose.
"did she feel groggy or nauseous afterward?"
For me personally, I did feel a bit groggy right after waking up, but it wasn't unpleasant—just sleepy and slow-moving for maybe an hour or two. I didn't have any nausea, but I've heard some people do, especially if they're sensitive to anesthesia in general. I'd say I felt pretty normal after about 4-5 hours, although I wasn't allowed to drive myself home that day (had to have someone pick me up). By the next morning, though, I was completely back to normal, no lingering effects at all. If you're worried about recovery, maybe schedule it on a day when you can just chill at home afterward?
I was pretty nervous about IV sedation too, but honestly, it ended up being way easier than I imagined. Laughing gas didn't do much for me either—felt like I was just awkwardly lying there, fully aware of every little drill noise...ugh.
"I'd say I felt pretty normal after about 4-5 hours"
Same here. Felt kinda sleepy and spaced out afterward, but no nausea or anything. Just planned a Netflix binge for the afternoon and was good to go by dinner time.
Glad to hear your experience went smoothly. I can definitely relate to the laughing gas thing—I tried it for a filling once and honestly, it didn't help much at all. Felt like I was just lying there awkwardly, hyper-aware of everything going on. IV sedation was a completely different story for me though. I was pretty anxious beforehand, but it turned out to be surprisingly straightforward. I barely remember anything from the procedure itself, and afterward, I just felt a bit groggy—nothing too uncomfortable or nauseous.
Your Netflix binge idea sounds like the perfect recovery plan. I did something similar; just curled up on the couch with some comfort food and movies, and by evening, things felt pretty normal again. It's reassuring to see others had similar experiences...makes the whole thing seem less intimidating.
