If there’s one question every dentist is used to answering, it’s this one: “Does it hurt?”

For decades, the answer was unfortunately yes. Most people over the age of 30 will remember trips to the dentist where discomfort was just part and parcel of the treatment.

But not any more. The great news is that, thanks to advances in technology, we can now carry out very complex procedures without patients feeling any pain at all.

A new practically painless approach

At Total Dentalcare (TDC) Implant Centres we use the latest surgical techniques, so even when we replace all a patient’s teeth with titanium implants, they won’t feel a thing. That may sound hard to believe, but the reason we can do it is down to a process called ‘conscious sedation’.

In simple terms, conscious sedation means that rather than a risky general anaesthetic putting you to sleep, you instead feel very relaxed, don’t feel any pain, and have little memory of the surgery.

It is carried out by one of our trained medical sedationists, who describe it as ‘The Twilight Zone’ where you are aware of what is happening (which makes it safer than a general) but you feel relaxed and comfortable.

Conscious sedation is extremely safe, without the associated risks and side effects of a general anaesthetic. In fact, it’s probably one of the most advanced techniques available, and why we recommend it for our implant patients.

In the years we have been offering implant treatment, we have never had a patient tell us it was painful. A little discomfort for a couple of days after the treatment is common, but our patients have never needed anything stronger than regular ibuprofen and paracetamol.

Straight from the patients themselves

This is what one of our patients, Jonathan Anderson, said about the painkilling technique: “During the operation you’re under sedation, and it’s like being in a nice soft bubble. There’s no pain at all, and it feels like it only takes a few minutes.”

Another patient Keith Marner agreed: “I think the ‘conscious-sedation’ is what really makes the procedure. Even now I can’t really describe it, as I’d never experienced anything like it before. It was as if you know what’s happening, but you don’t really care too much. In fact, I felt so good after it was finished that I just wanted a blanket so I could drift of to sleep.”

We gave Shannon Crisp implants too, and she described sedation as being “in this state of dreamland. I could respond to questions, but didn’t feel anything at all”.

We think this really demonstrates how things have moved on immeasurably in the world of dentistry. So if you would like implants because of loose, missing or painful teeth, but are worried about the surgery, give us a call. We can show you that scary dental treatment really is a thing of the past, and we can give you a Smile in a Day. The sedation is so effective, you’ll barely believe you’ve had  a dental implant procedure at all.

Book your free consultation* or call 020 3553 6415.