Can I Drive Myself Home After Oral and IV Sedation?

Getting dental procedures is enough to make most patients nervous, but the best part is that modern dentistry has a few remedies, like oral and IV sedation, to calm you during your treatment. However, most patients ask themselves after undergoing sedation: “Can I drive home afterward?”

While sedation may eliminate the fear of dental procedures, it’s also important to be aware of the transportation requirements after dental sedation. Many people may think they can drive following a procedure, but the effects of sedation may take longer to wear off than one would suspect, and affect one’s ability to drive.

In this blog, we will explain why it is unsafe to drive after sedation and what you can do before your trip to the dentist. We will also discuss the most essential transportation requirements after dental sedation, so you know and can arrange ahead of time.

The first thing to understand is that dental sedation will affect your cognitive and motor functions. While these sedatives will be relaxing, they will affect your coordination, judgment, and reaction times, and driving under the influence of these sedatives would be dangerous. Here’s why:

• Oral Sedation: This type of sedation comes in the form of a pill that you swallow before your visit. While it calms you, it gets you drowsy and lethargic for several hours following the procedure.
• IV Sedation: Administered directly into your blood system, IV sedation is reserved for complex procedures. It’s quick-acting and short-lived relative to oral sedation, but you can still sense its effects, especially within the first hour or two after the treatment.

In both cases, sedation leaves you relaxed, though your response time could be slowed, and so driving is risky. It is for this reason that a sedation dentist in Conroe will advise you to arrange for transport post-treatment.

Understanding the Need for Post-Sedation Care

After a sedation-induced dental procedure, having someone you can trust to drive you home is important. Our dental care team always recommends an escort after treatment. It’s done for your protection and for the protection of drivers and pedestrians around you.

The sedation can take hours to dissipate, even when you are wide awake and alert. The goal is to ensure that you reach your home safely without any risks in between, hence the importance of transportation needs after dental sedation.

The following tips can make your travel home effortless:

• Have a friend or relative with you: A person who can drive you home or help you if needed. 
• Think about ride-sharing services: In case you don’t have a relative or friend, ride-sharing services such as Uber or Lyft are a great option for safe rides.
• Rest after visiting: Even after arrival at home, take care to rest and avoid driving a vehicle or using heavy machinery.

At Grand Central Dentistry of Conroe, your safety is our top priority, and that’s why we emphasize the importance of making appropriate transportation arrangements after your dental procedure. Regardless of whether you’re given oral sedation or IV sedation, never try to drive yourself home. Not only will you put yourself in danger, but also the well-being of other drivers on the road.

Call us today to discuss your sedation options and make sure you’re fully prepared for your next visit!