Will I need recovery time from sedation with my oral surgery?

Most patients who have a surgical procedure like a wisdom tooth extraction or dental implant placement will want some sort of sedation during the procedure. Your oral surgeon will review your sedation options with you and advise you of what to expect in the recovery process. Some methods require some recovery time after the appointment, while others do not. The mildest form of sedative is nitrous oxide (also known as laughing gas), which the patient inhales in gaseous form through a mask. It produces a calming sensation throughout the patient’s body, and its effects are reversed quickly after the patient returns to inhaling normal air. There is minimal recovery time needed for patients who receive nitrous oxide as sedation for their procedure. Alternatively, your oral surgeon may recommend IV sedation or general anesthesia for your procedure, and these methods do have lingering effects even after the surgery is complete. With…