Sedation Dentistry in Miami Dentistry without
the fear.

Oral sedation only: what we offer, and what we don't

The sedation dentistry we provide in Miami is oral sedation: a prescribed medicine, taken by mouth, that makes you calm and drowsy while you stay able to breathe on your own and answer when we speak to you. It is sometimes called oral conscious sedation or minimal to moderate sedation.

We do not offer IV sedation, and we do not offer general anesthesia, where a person is fully unconscious. If your treatment or your health calls for a deeper level, Dr. Rana will tell you honestly and refer you to a practice that provides it, such as an oral surgeon's office. If you are curious how a pill compares with laughing gas, our post on nitrous oxide vs oral sedation lays out the differences.

Who oral sedation suits, and who may need another plan

Oral sedation tends to work well for adults who feel real dread about dental visits, who have put off care for a long time, or who need a long appointment and would rather not sit through it fully alert. It can also help people who find it hard to stay still in the chair.

It is not right for everyone. Oral sedation may not be suitable, or may need your doctor's input first, if any of these apply:

• You are pregnant or might be, or you are breastfeeding
• You have sleep apnea, heavy snoring or a lung condition that affects breathing
• You take medicines that also cause drowsiness, such as some pain, sleep, anxiety or seizure medicines
• You have liver or kidney problems, or a heart condition
• You have had a bad reaction to a sedative or anesthesia before
• You drink alcohol heavily or use other substances regularly

None of these automatically rules you out, and plenty of people with mild nerves do well with numbing, breaks and a dentist who explains every step. The point of the screening is to find the safest plan for you, which sometimes means no sedation at all.

Safety screening and your health history

Safety starts well before the day of treatment. At your visit, Dr. Rana goes over your health with you in detail. Expect questions about:

• Medical conditions, past surgeries and any recent hospital stays
• Every medicine you take, including vitamins, supplements and anything over the counter
• Allergies, and how you reacted to sedatives or anesthesia in the past
• Breathing, snoring and sleep
• Alcohol, cannabis and other substance use, asked without judgment because it affects how sedation works
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding

Bring a written list of your medicines with the doses, or photos of the labels. When it makes sense, we may ask your physician to confirm that sedation is reasonable for you. On treatment day we check how you are doing before we begin and keep watching you throughout the visit. The medicine and dose are chosen for you, not taken from a one-size chart. For a deeper look at this topic, read is sedation dentistry safe?

What oral sedation feels like

Most people describe a heavy, unhurried calm. As the medicine takes effect, your body relaxes and worries feel far away. You may feel sleepy and even doze lightly, but you can still be woken easily, follow simple requests like "open a little wider" and tell us if something bothers you.

Oral sedation does not numb your teeth. You still get local anesthetic for the treatment itself, and with sedation many people barely notice it being given. Time tends to pass quickly, and memories of the visit are often patchy afterward.

Once you're home, expect to feel drowsy and a bit unsteady for several hours. Many people nap. By the next day most feel like themselves again, though some notice mild tiredness.

The driver rule: you need an adult to take you home

This is the one rule we can't bend. Oral sedation slows your reactions and judgment for hours, even when you feel fine. So:

• A responsible adult must drive you home and should stay with you for a while after you arrive.
• A rideshare, taxi or bus on your own does not count. If a friend rides with you in a rideshare, ask us first whether that works for your plan.
• Don't drive, bike, use machinery or take care of young children alone for the remainder of the day.
• Don't drink alcohol, and hold off on signing contracts or making big decisions until the next day.
• If your ride falls through, call or text us. We would rather reschedule than send you home alone.

Your written instructions will confirm when your driver should arrive and how long to rest. Your driver can use the building parking or street parking, or pull up at the drop-off on Biscayne Blvd.

Eating, drinking and medicines before your visit

Instructions about food, drink and your usual medicines depend on the medicine we use, your health and the time of your appointment, so we give you written instructions for your visit instead of a general rule. Please follow them exactly, and if anything is unclear, call or text before the day.

Don't stop a prescribed medicine on your own. If you take something for blood pressure, diabetes, blood thinning or your heart, tell us, and we'll say whether to take it as usual. Wear comfortable clothes, leave valuables at home and bring your medicine list. Our guide on how to prepare for a sedation visit has a fuller checklist.

Sedation for long visits: implants, several fillings and more

Oral sedation is especially useful when there is a lot to do. Instead of several short, tense appointments, some patients prefer one longer, calmer visit. Common examples:

• Placing a dental implant, or the steps of full-arch treatment
• Several fillings on different sides of the mouth
• A root canal, especially on a molar
• Preparing teeth for crowns
• Routine wisdom tooth removal done in our office

Sedation makes long visits easier to sit through, but it doesn't change what is wise to do in one session. If a plan is very long, Dr. Rana may still split it into two visits so you heal well and the medicine is used safely.

Kids, teens and sedation

We are a family practice and see kids and teens every day. For most children, a calm, unhurried approach works: short visits, letting them see and touch the tools first, and parents nearby. When a child needs sedation for dental work, we generally refer to a pediatric dentist whose office is set up for sedating children. For teenagers, any sedation decision is made together with a parent. See our kids dentist page for how we care for younger patients.

What affects the cost of sedation, and insurance

Sedation is priced as a separate line on your treatment plan, and the exact amount is confirmed in writing before treatment. It mostly depends on the medicine and dose, how long the appointment is and how long you are monitored, and whether you need sedation for one visit or several.

Many dental plans don't cover sedation given for anxiety, and others contribute only for certain procedures or medical reasons. Deductibles and annual maximums still apply when they do. Because benefits vary so much, we check your benefits for you. Whatever insurance leaves over can go on a 0% plan, on approved credit, through CareCredit, Cherry or LendingClub. See financing options.

When we refer you elsewhere

Honesty about limits is part of safe sedation. We refer patients when they want or need IV sedation or general anesthesia, when a complex extraction or surgery belongs with an oral surgeon, when a child needs sedation, or when a medical condition calls for a hospital or specialist setting we can refer you to. We explain why and help you with the next step.

Getting here

Prana Dental is in Suite 703 of 3050 Biscayne Blvd, at the NE 30th Street corner in Edgewater. Neighbors in Midtown are often about 5 minutes away, while drivers from Downtown usually need 10 to 15 minutes and from Brickell 15 to 20, depending on traffic. Leave a little extra time so you aren't rushing on a sedation day.

About the dentist

Dr. Aakash Rana, DDS

Dr. Aakash Rana, DDS is a general dentist trained at NYU College of Dentistry, with more than $100,000 in continuing education. He plans and treats each case at Prana Dental himself, works with our in-house lab, and refers to a specialist when a case needs one.

More sedation dentistry questions

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