I have type-2 diabetes and am about to have my wisdom teeth out. I understand that there is dental sedation available for this procedure. Will my being diabetic be a problem? I have a glucose monitor and my levels have been staying in a healthy range. One of the things I worry about is the ability to eat before a procedure because that affects my levels significantly. Am I a candidate for dental sedation or will I have to tough this thing out the hard way?

Karen

Dear Karen,

I am glad you wrote. Diabetes sure does make life more complicated, doesn’t it? The good news is this should not keep you from having dental sedation. Your levels are staying steady and it sounds like you keep up with your care. My suggestion is you ask for oral conscious sedation. This is administered by a pill but is quite strong. Not only will you be able to eat before your procedure, it will be important for you to do so. Also, don’t skip your insulin dose, though I doubt you would. If you didn’t have a monitor, we’d ask you to bring a glucometer, but your meter will make monitoring your levels during the procedure simple.

With oral conscious sedation, you will need a driver to get you to and from your appointment as well as to stay with you for a few hours afterward until you are lucid and steady on your feet. You may want to pick that person well in advance and make sure to train them in your diabetic care so they are prepared for any eventualities.

Other than that, you will want to keep a close eye on your healing and surgical site. It is harder for diabetics to heal, so stay on top of all your post-operative care.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.