Specialist endodontic care with sedation in the Illawarra
As the only specialist endodontic clinic in the Illawarra, Wollongong Endodontics offers sedation options locally — patients no longer need to travel to Sydney for anxious-patient endodontic care.
Dental anxiety affects a meaningful proportion of the population, and a simple root canal can feel overwhelming if you have had a difficult experience in the past, a strong gag reflex, or generalised anxiety. The right sedation approach turns a difficult appointment into a comfortable one, and makes it possible to complete complex treatment in a single visit.
Sedation options available at Wollongong Endodontics
1. Oral sedation
A tablet (typically a short-acting benzodiazepine) is taken about an hour before your appointment. It produces a deeper level of relaxation — most patients are calm but awake, with a blurred memory of the appointment afterwards. Effect lasts 4–6 hours.
You must arrange a responsible adult to drive you home. Do not drive or operate machinery for 24 hours afterwards.
Best for: moderate anxiety, patients who prefer a single pre-op tablet over IV sedation.
2. IV sedation
Administered by a visiting sedationist via a small cannula in the arm. IV sedation produces a deeper, titratable state of relaxation than oral sedation — most patients have little or no memory of the procedure. You remain breathing on your own, can respond to instructions, and your protective reflexes remain intact. It is not general anaesthesia.
Best for: moderate-to-severe anxiety, long or complex procedures, patients with strong gag reflex, some special-needs patients.
IV sedation appointments are booked in coordination with the sedationist's availability. Pre-operative medical review is required.
Local anaesthesia — always
Sedation does not replace local anaesthesia — it complements it. In every case we still use effective local anaesthetic (lignocaine, articaine, mepivacaine as appropriate, with supplementary techniques like intraligamentary or intraosseous anaesthesia where needed) so that the tooth is completely numb during treatment. Sedation makes the experience comfortable; local anaesthetic makes it painless.
Before your sedation appointment
For IV and oral sedation:
- No food for 6 hours before the appointment. Clear fluids allowed up to 2 hours before.
- No alcohol for 24 hours before.
- A responsible adult must accompany you to and from the appointment — they drive you home.
- Bring a list of all current medications, including supplements.
- Wear comfortable loose clothing with short sleeves for IV access.
- Plan nothing else for the rest of the day after an IV sedation appointment.
Full written pre-op instructions are provided when your sedation appointment is booked.
Who is not suitable for sedation
Sedation is safe for most patients but is not appropriate for everyone. Factors that may preclude IV sedation include:
- Severe cardiovascular or respiratory disease
- Pregnancy
- Certain sleep apnoea diagnoses (without CPAP)
- Some psychiatric medications and interactions
- Very young age (we do not sedate paediatric patients)
A medical history review is performed before any sedation appointment is confirmed. For patients unable to have IV sedation, oral sedation may still be suitable.
Fees
- Oral sedation — small additional fee for prescription and supervision.
- IV sedation — from $600, billed by the visiting sedationist. Exact quote depends on appointment duration.
A full quote is provided when your sedation appointment is booked. See our full fee schedule for treatment costs.
Sister practice: Sedation for root canal treatment is also available at our Liverpool practice — Southwest Endodontic Centre, serving patients across South West Sydney.
For referring dentists
When referring an anxious patient, please flag the level of anxiety, any previous difficult experiences, and any medications of note on the referral. We will discuss the appropriate sedation option with the patient at the consultation and book the sedation appointment as required.
Refer a Patient → (02) 4208 0155
Frequently Asked Questions
Two sedation options are available: oral sedation (a tablet taken an hour before the appointment) and IV sedation (administered by a visiting sedationist). Which is appropriate depends on your anxiety level, medical history, and the complexity of the treatment. Both options are combined with local anaesthesia so the tooth is fully numb.
IV sedation is suitable for patients with moderate-to-severe dental anxiety, patients with a strong gag reflex, patients requiring long or complex procedures, and some patients with special needs. It is not suitable for patients with certain medical conditions (severe cardiovascular or respiratory disease, pregnancy). A full medical history and sedation consent is taken before the appointment.
No. IV sedation produces a state of deep relaxation — you are breathing normally, can respond to instructions, and your protective reflexes remain intact. Most patients have little or no memory of the procedure afterwards (anterograde amnesia is a normal feature of the sedation). It is not the same as general anaesthesia.
For IV or oral sedation: do not eat for 6 hours before the appointment (clear fluids allowed up to 2 hours before); arrange a responsible adult to drive you home and stay with you for 8 hours; do not drink alcohol for 24 hours before; bring a list of all medications. Full written pre-op instructions are provided when your sedation appointment is booked.
Oral sedation effects typically last 4–6 hours; a companion drives you home. IV sedation effects last 4–8 hours; a companion must drive you home and ideally stay with you for 8 hours. You must not drive, operate machinery or make important decisions for 24 hours after IV sedation.
Oral sedation involves a small additional fee for the prescription and supervision. IV sedation is provided by a visiting sedationist and typically costs from $600, depending on the length of the appointment. A full quote is provided when your sedation appointment is booked.