You know the feeling. The appointment is booked, the date is in the diary, and then the morning arrives and something shifts. It might be a tightness in your chest or a quiet voice in the back of your head reminding you of a difficult experience years ago. Some people cancel. Others simply never book in the first place. And if that sounds familiar, you are not being dramatic. Dental anxiety is one of the most common and most quietly suffered experiences in the UK, and it affects people across Leicester and Leicestershire every single day.
The good news is that dental sedation has made it genuinely possible for patients who would otherwise never make it into the chair to receive the care they need, comfortably and without the dread that used to come with it. At EverySmile Dental in Ratby, Dr Aisha Shabir is a fully qualified sedationist, and this is something the practice has built into its care from day one, not as an afterthought but as a genuine commitment to the patients who need it most.
What Is Dental Sedation and How Does It Work?
Dental sedation is a way of helping patients feel calm, relaxed and at ease during treatment without putting them to sleep entirely. Unlike a general anaesthetic, which renders you fully unconscious, sedation leaves you in a state where you are aware of what is happening but deeply relaxed about it. Most patients describe the experience as feeling pleasantly floaty, with little to no memory of the appointment afterwards.
There are two types of sedation available at EverySmile, and the right one depends on the level of anxiety and the treatment being carried out.
The first is inhalation sedation, sometimes called happy gas or laughing gas, which involves breathing a gentle mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen through a small nosepiece that rests just below your nose. It works quickly, typically within a few minutes, and the effects wear off just as fast once the nosepiece is removed. One of the most practical things about inhalation sedation is that you can drive yourself home afterwards, which makes it a straightforward option for a lot of patients with busy lives in and around Leicester.
The second is IV sedation, which involves a small cannula placed in the back of the hand or arm through which a sedative is administered. This produces a much deeper state of relaxation, and most patients remember very little of the appointment when it is over. IV sedation does require an escort home, so you would need to arrange for someone to collect you, but for patients with more significant anxiety it is often life-changing in the most literal sense of the word.
Who Is Dental Sedation Actually For?
There is a version of this conversation in most people’s heads where sedation is reserved for extreme cases, for patients who are completely terrified or who have a serious phobia. The reality is much broader than that.
Sedation at EverySmile is genuinely for anyone who finds dental visits difficult. That might be a patient who has had a bad experience at another practice and has not been back since. It might be someone who finds the sounds and sensations of dentistry overwhelming regardless of how gentle the dentist is. It might be a patient with a strong gag reflex that makes standard treatment genuinely difficult. It might even be someone who simply needs a significant amount of work done in a single session and would rather get it all done in one comfortable, relaxed appointment than spread it across multiple visits.
The team at EverySmile also works regularly with patients who arrive having not seen a dentist in years, sometimes a decade or more. The combination of shame about the gap and fear of what might be found has kept them away, and sedation is often what finally makes the appointment feel manageable. There is never any judgement about how long it has been. The only thing that matters is that you are here now.
Can I have dental sedation if I am a nervous patient in Leicester?
Yes. EverySmile Dental in Ratby, Leicester offers dental sedation specifically for patients who find dental visits difficult, including those with dental phobia, a strong gag reflex, past traumatic experiences, or who simply need complex treatment carried out over a longer session. Both inhalation sedation from £195 and IV sedation from £250 per hour are available. A consultation is required beforehand to confirm suitability.
The Difference Between Sedation and a Local Anaesthetic
A lot of patients mix these two things up, and it is worth clearing up because they do very different jobs. A local anaesthetic numbs the area being treated so you do not feel pain during the procedure. Sedation addresses the anxiety and emotional experience of being in the chair. They are not alternatives to each other. Most sedation appointments also involve a local anaesthetic, so you get both the calm and the pain relief together.
The reason this matters is that many patients who find dentistry difficult are not primarily afraid of pain. They are afraid of the sounds, the smells, the loss of control, the proximity of the dentist, or a specific memory of something that went wrong in the past. A local anaesthetic alone does not help with any of those things. Sedation does.
Dr Aisha’s Qualification and Why It Matters
Not every dentist who offers sedation holds the same level of qualification, and when it comes to something as significant as administering a sedative, that distinction matters enormously. Dr Aisha Shabir holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Conscious Sedation and Pain Management, which places her among a relatively small group of general dental practitioners across Leicestershire who have completed advanced formal training in this area beyond the standard undergraduate curriculum.
This means sedation at EverySmile is not referred out to a separate specialist and it is not a service bolted on from outside. It is something Dr Aisha delivers herself, in the practice, as part of your regular dental care. For anxious patients, that continuity makes a real difference. You are not handed over to someone new at the point where you need reassurance most. You are looked after by the same person throughout.
Does EverySmile Dental in Leicester offer IV sedation?
Yes. EverySmile Dental in Ratby, Leicester offers IV sedation administered by Dr Aisha Shabir, who holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Conscious Sedation and Pain Management. IV sedation produces a deep state of relaxation with most patients having little memory of the appointment. It is available alongside most routine and cosmetic treatments and costs from £250 per hour. An escort home is required following IV sedation.
What Happens at a Sedation Appointment at EverySmile in Ratby?
If you have never had sedation before, knowing what to expect beforehand makes the whole thing considerably less intimidating.
Before your sedation appointment, you will have a consultation with Dr Aisha where she reviews your medical history and confirms which type of sedation is appropriate for your case. She will also explain what to expect and answer any questions you have. For IV sedation, there are specific pre-appointment instructions around eating and drinking that you will need to follow, and she will make sure you have everything you need to prepare properly.
On the day of your appointment, you will arrive at the practice on Desford Lane and be looked after by Dr Aisha and the team from the moment you walk through the door. If you are having inhalation sedation the nosepiece is placed gently and the gas takes effect within a few minutes. You will feel relaxed and calm almost immediately. Treatment then takes place as it normally would, but without the anxiety colouring the experience. When it is over, the nosepiece is removed, the effects clear quickly and in most cases you are good to go home under your own steam.
IV sedation follows a similar pattern but with a slightly longer recovery period in the practice before you are ready to leave, and you will need your pre-arranged escort to take you home. Most IV sedation patients genuinely remember very little of the appointment, which for many of them is precisely the point.
Getting to EverySmile from Across Leicester for Sedation Treatment
EverySmile Dental sits in Ratby village on Desford Lane, a genuinely easy reach from most of the surrounding area. Patients come for sedation appointments from Groby, just up the road, from Glenfield and Kirby Muxloe, from further out in Markfield and Coalville, and from Leicester city centre itself, which is around a 20-minute drive depending on traffic.
The free on-site car park takes one significant thing off your mind on the day. When you are already managing anxiety about an appointment, not having to find a space and walk a distance is actually worth something. Pull up, come straight in, and the team will be ready for you.
If you are travelling for an IV sedation appointment and need to arrange someone to collect you, it is worth letting the team know when you book so they can flag the timing and make sure there is enough flexibility in the schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dental Sedation in Leicester
Is dental sedation the same as being put to sleep?
Conscious sedation is not the same as a general anaesthetic. You remain awake and responsive throughout, but you are in a deeply relaxed state and largely unaware of what is happening around you. General anaesthesia, which is delivered in a hospital setting, renders you fully unconscious. Conscious sedation is considerably lighter, safer for routine dental settings, and has a much faster recovery time.
How much does dental sedation cost at EverySmile in Leicester?
Inhalation sedation at EverySmile Dental in Ratby costs from £195 and IV sedation costs from £250 per hour. Sedation is charged in addition to the cost of the treatment being carried out. The team will give you a full breakdown of costs at your consultation so there are no surprises on the day.
Can I drive home after dental sedation in Leicester?
It depends on which type of sedation you have. After inhalation sedation the effects clear within a few minutes and most patients are fine to drive. After IV sedation you will need someone to collect you and take you home, as the sedative takes longer to leave your system and driving is not safe or permitted on the same day.
Is dental sedation suitable for all patients?
Most adults in good general health are suitable candidates for dental sedation. Dr Aisha carries out a thorough medical review at your consultation to confirm suitability based on your health history, any medications you take and the treatment planned. Certain medical conditions may affect suitability and she will advise you honestly at that stage.
What if I am nervous about the sedation itself?
That is more common than you might think. Plenty of patients arrive anxious about the anxiety solution, which is entirely understandable. Dr Aisha is used to this and takes as much time as you need at the consultation stage. She will explain every step clearly, answer every question fully and make sure you feel genuinely comfortable before anything is booked. You are never rushed.
You Have Found the Right Team
For a lot of people, dental anxiety is something they have managed quietly for years. They have skipped appointments, booked and cancelled, or simply accepted that their dental health was not something they could face. Sedation changes that, but only when it is in the right hands, and at EverySmile it genuinely is.
If you want to understand your options before committing to anything, a conversation with the team is always a good place to start. There is no obligation attached to that conversation and no expectation that you will book treatment on the same day. For more on what makes EverySmile the practice it is, the sedation dentistry page covers everything in detail, or you can call the team directly on 0116 350 3322.
If anxiety has been the reason you have stayed away, this might be the year that changes.