Preparing your patient for sedation
Clear, practical guidance to share with your patient before and after their sedation appointment — what to expect, and what to avoid.
If your patient is unable to follow any of the guidance below, or has concerns about it, ask them to contact the Sedation Solutions office so we can adjust it to suit their circumstances.
Before their appointment, your patient will have received an extensive patient pack covering all of the preparation and aftercare guidance below. We will also have obtained their escort’s name and contact details, confirmed in writing. The escort doesn’t need to be there for the whole appointment, but it is imperative they come to collect the patient afterwards — the patient cannot be discharged without them.
Before the appointment
Instructions to pass on to your patient ahead of their sedation appointment.
- Patients having dental sedation should arrive 15 minutes before their appointment; patients having medical sedation should arrive 35 to 40 minutes beforehand.
- They will receive an automated text reminder the day before their appointment, covering fasting requirements.
- They should empty their bladder before the procedure.
- No food for 6 hours beforehand. Water is encouraged up to 2 hours before their appointment.
- If they take prescribed medication, they should continue as usual, with a small amount of water, regardless of the food restriction above.
- Asthma sufferers should bring their inhaler; diabetic patients should bring their blood glucose monitoring device.
- Smoking and alcohol should be avoided for 24 hours beforehand. Recreational drugs are not permitted for 48 hours before treatment.
- They should arrange for a responsible adult to take them home afterwards — preferably by car or taxi — and to stay with them for the rest of the day. If sedation finishes late in the day, the escort should stay until the following morning.
- They should wear loose-fitting clothing so we can access the upper arm for a blood pressure cuff, avoid heavy make-up, nail varnish and jewellery, and wear flat shoes, as they may be slightly unsteady for a short while afterwards.
- Depending on the procedure, contact lens wearers may be asked to remove their lenses — it’s best to bring a lens case, or wear glasses if they have them.
After the appointment
What your patient, and their escort, should know once sedation is complete.
- Their pre-arranged escort must accompany them home, by car, taxi or public transport — the London Underground is best avoided. Guidelines don’t allow us to send a patient home alone.
- The escort should also receive aftercare instructions, and should ideally stay with the patient until the following morning if sedation finishes in the late afternoon.
- Patients should continue taking all regular medication as usual.
- Sedation causes a variable degree of temporary amnesia, which usually clears soon after the procedure but can occasionally last a few hours.
- No alcohol for the rest of the day. Breastfeeding should be avoided for 24 hours afterwards.
- Complications aren’t expected, but if a patient has any concern, however small, they should contact their sedationist or our office.
- They’ll receive an electronic feedback request the day after their appointment, which helps us monitor their recovery.
As we use short-acting medication, the effects of sedation usually clear within a few hours. In some cases — particularly among older patients — it can take longer, up to 24 hours, to fully recover from drowsiness, memory loss and reduced coordination. For 24 hours afterwards, they must not:
- Drive or cycle (insurance is void)
- Use electrical equipment, cook, or operate machinery
- Care for children or dependent adults
- Make important decisions, or sign legal documents
- Drink alcohol, or take sleeping tablets, tobacco or recreational drugs
- Carry out complicated tasks
- Return to work on the day of their sedation
Not booked in yet? See how to arrange a sedation → Wondering if a procedure qualifies? See procedures suitable for sedation →