Dr Eva Miller
IV Sedation Lead · GDC qualified
From £300 as an add-on to any treatment — pre-assessment, monitoring, recovery and aftercare included.
Eva manages the sedation while Dr Edward Walmsley places your implants. Both clinicians, one appointment — care most local practices can’t offer in-house.
Dental implants · All-on-4 full-arch surgery · Wisdom teeth removal · Multiple extractions · Root canal treatment · Deep cleaning & advanced gum disease treatment · Full-mouth restoration · even routine hygiene for patients with severe phobia.
4.9 from 340+ Google reviews. CQC registered. Free 15-minute consultation — no pressure, no commitment, just a clear picture of what’s possible.
IV Sedation Dentistry in Manchester — Comfort for Anxious Patients
If you’ve been putting off dental treatment because of anxiety, gag reflex, complex procedures, or past trauma at the dentist — IV sedation changes the conversation. You stay conscious, deeply relaxed, and most patients remember very little of the appointment. At Walmsley Dental in Droylsden, Dr Eva Miller is fully qualified in intravenous sedation, and we deliver it on-site so anxious patients can have everything from a hygiene visit to full implant surgery in one comfortable appointment.
IV sedation from £300 as an add-on to treatment. Includes pre-sedation assessment, full monitoring throughout, qualified recovery support, and written aftercare. Free 15-minute consultation to discuss whether sedation is right for you — book online or call 0161 370 2869.
We’re a family-run practice that’s been part of the Droylsden community since 1984. We hold a 4.9☆ Google rating from 340+ patient reviews, and we’re one of very few practices in the Manchester / Tameside area offering true IV sedation on-site — not just oral pre-medication, not a referral to a hospital, but proper conscious IV sedation delivered by a qualified clinician in our own surgery.
Who is IV sedation for?
IV sedation is for any patient where being awake and alert in the chair is the barrier to getting the treatment they need. Common reasons our patients choose sedation:
- Dental phobia — mild to severe. If you’ve avoided the dentist for years, this is for you.
- Previous trauma — a difficult childhood experience, a bad anaesthetic, a procedure that went wrong elsewhere.
- Severe gag reflex — patients who physically can’t tolerate impressions, x-rays, or instruments at the back of the mouth.
- Long or complex procedures — multiple extractions, implant surgery, full-mouth reconstruction, deep cleaning under the gum line.
- Multiple treatments in one visit — combining work that would normally need 3–4 separate appointments into a single sedated session.
- Special needs adults — patients for whom regular dental care is challenging due to learning differences, severe anxiety disorders, or movement disorders.
If any of this sounds like you, the most important thing to know is that you’re not unusual, and we will not judge you. We see anxious patients every single week. The free 15-minute consultation is a chance to meet Eva, see the practice, and talk through what’s possible — with zero pressure to commit to anything.
What is IV sedation? (And what it isn’t)
IV sedation is the gold standard for dental anxiety management in a dental practice setting. A small amount of sedative is delivered through a vein in your hand or arm. Within a couple of minutes you’ll feel deeply relaxed — calm, drowsy, and largely unaware of time passing.
Critically: you remain conscious. You can respond to questions, open your mouth on request, and breathe normally on your own. You’re not unconscious like a general anaesthetic, and you don’t need to be in a hospital. The level of sedation is titrated for each patient throughout the procedure — we can take you deeper or lighter as needed.
Most patients experience amnesia for the procedure — they simply don’t remember it afterwards, which means the appointment leaves no negative imprint to feed future anxiety.
IV sedation vs other options — what’s the difference?
| Method | How it works | Depth | Memory after | Recovery | Best for… |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local anaesthetic only | Numbs the area, you’re fully awake | None | Full | None | Routine treatments, no anxiety |
| Oral sedation | A tablet (e.g. diazepam) before the appointment | Light | Mostly intact | Drowsy for the day | Mild anxiety, simple procedures |
| Inhalation sedation (gas & air) | Nitrous oxide breathed in via a nose mask | Light–moderate | Mostly intact | 15–30 minutes | Children, mild adult anxiety |
| IV sedation | Sedative delivered through a vein, titrated | Deep but conscious | Usually little to none | Several hours; escort home required | Moderate–severe anxiety, complex procedures, multiple extractions, implants |
| General anaesthetic | Fully unconscious, hospital setting | Unconscious | None | 1–2 days; hospital stay | Very young children, profound disability, jaw surgery |
Why IV is the right step up from oral / gas & air: oral and inhalation sedation are useful for mild anxiety, but they can’t be titrated meaningfully — once it’s in, it’s in. IV sedation lets us adjust the level second-by-second based on how you’re responding, which is why it’s the standard used for genuinely anxious patients and longer procedures.
About Dr Eva Miller, our IV sedation lead
IV sedation isn’t something every dentist can offer — it requires additional training, certification, and the practice itself needs to be set up to deliver it safely. Dr Eva Miller is our IV-sedation-qualified dentist, and she’s responsible for the sedation pathway end-to-end — from the pre-sedation health assessment, to the procedure itself, to your recovery and post-op aftercare.
Eva works alongside our other dentists when sedation patients need treatment outside her scope — for example, an implant placement by Dr Edward Walmsley while Eva manages the sedation. This is exactly the kind of two-clinician care that most local practices simply can’t offer in-house.
What can I have done under IV sedation?
Almost anything you’d have done awake, plus several treatments that would otherwise be split into multiple visits:
- Dental implants under sedation — from a single implant to full-arch All-on-4. Often the single biggest reason patients choose us. More on dental implants →
- Wisdom teeth removal under sedation — multiple wisdom teeth in one comfortable session instead of two or three visits.
- Multiple extractions — ideal for patients preparing for dentures or full-arch implants.
- Root canal treatment — complex molar root canals where patients struggle to keep their mouth open for extended periods.
- Deep cleaning / advanced gum disease treatment — full-mouth scaling and root planing in one visit, particularly useful for severe periodontal cases. More on gum care →
- Full-mouth restoration — multiple crowns, bridges or composite restorations combined into one session.
- Even hygiene — for patients with severe phobia who can’t tolerate routine cleaning awake.
What happens on the day?
- Pre-sedation assessment — before sedation day, Eva reviews your medical history, current medications, allergies, and BMI to confirm IV sedation is safe for you.
- Fasting — you’ll be asked to fast (no food or drink) for 4–6 hours before the appointment. Sips of water up to 2 hours before are usually fine. Specific instructions given at your assessment.
- Bring an escort — you must have a responsible adult to take you home and stay with you for the rest of the day. You cannot drive, take public transport alone, or be alone after the appointment.
- On arrival — quick health re-check (blood pressure, pulse), cannula placed in the back of your hand or arm.
- Sedation begins — you’ll feel calm and drowsy within a couple of minutes. The treating dentist will do their work while Eva monitors your sedation, breathing, oxygen levels, blood pressure and heart rate throughout.
- Recovery — you’ll come round gradually in our recovery area. We’ll check you’re stable, give you and your escort written aftercare instructions, and send you home.
- The rest of the day — rest at home, no driving for 24 hours, no important decisions or signing documents, no alcohol. Most patients feel completely normal by the next morning.
Is IV sedation safe?
Yes — when delivered by a qualified clinician in a properly equipped practice. Walmsley Dental is CQC-registered, and our sedation pathway includes:
- Pre-sedation medical assessment by a qualified dentist
- Continuous monitoring throughout (pulse oximeter, blood pressure, ECG where indicated)
- Reversal agents on-site — if at any point we need to bring you back, we can
- Trained recovery staff
- Written aftercare protocol with a 24-hour contact number
- Required escort and post-op support
The risks of properly-delivered IV sedation are very low, particularly for healthy adults. We’ll talk through your individual risk profile at your assessment — if for any reason we don’t think IV sedation is safe for you, we’ll tell you.
What does IV sedation cost?
Sedation is priced as an add-on to the underlying dental treatment:
- Sedation add-on: from £300 — covers the pre-assessment, sedation drugs, full monitoring, recovery support, and written aftercare. Suitable for the majority of standard procedures up to around 45 minutes.
- Extended sedation: from £400 — for longer or more complex procedures such as full-arch implants, multiple extractions, or full-mouth restoration in a single visit.
- 0% finance available on treatments over £1,000 — spread the combined cost interest-free, subject to credit approval.
For a full quote that includes both the dental treatment and the sedation, book your free 15-minute consultation. We’ll work out what’s needed, what it’ll cost, and confirm whether sedation is suitable — in writing, no obligation.
Common Questions About IV Sedation
Will I be asleep?
No — you’ll be deeply relaxed but still conscious. You can respond to questions and open your mouth when asked. Most patients describe it as “drifting in and out”, and most don’t remember the appointment afterwards.
Is IV sedation the same as general anaesthetic?
No. General anaesthetic puts you fully unconscious and is only delivered in a hospital setting. IV sedation keeps you conscious and is delivered in our practice. Recovery from IV sedation is hours, not days.
Can I drive home afterwards?
Absolutely not. You must have a responsible adult escort home, and you cannot drive for 24 hours after the appointment. Most patients also need to take the rest of the day off work.
How long does the sedation last?
The deep effect lasts the duration of your procedure — we titrate it so you come round shortly after we finish. You’ll feel drowsy for the rest of the day and should be back to normal by the next morning.
Will I say something embarrassing?
No — IV sedation isn’t a “truth serum”. You’ll be quiet, calm and largely unresponsive. This is one of the most common worries we hear, and it’s understandable, but in practice patients are too sedated to chat.
What if I’m on medication or have a health condition?
That’s exactly what the pre-sedation assessment is for. Most common conditions are fine, but some interactions and risk factors mean IV sedation isn’t suitable — we’ll tell you straight if that’s the case, and offer alternatives like oral or inhalation sedation.
Can I combine implants with sedation?
Yes — this is one of the most common combinations we offer. Many patients who’d been putting off implants for years finally go ahead once they realise they can have it all done under sedation in one visit. See our dental implants page.
Book your free IV sedation consultation
Every sedation journey starts with a free 15-minute consultation. We’ll talk through what you’d like to have done, your concerns, your medical history at a high level, and whether IV sedation is the right tool for your situation. No pressure to commit to anything — we’ll just give you a clear picture of what’s possible and what it’ll cost.
Call 0161 370 2869 to book, or send a message via our contact page. We come back to every enquiry the same working day.
Walmsley Dental serves anxious dental patients from across Manchester and Tameside — Droylsden, Audenshaw, Denton, Failsworth, Openshaw, Hyde, Ashton-under-Lyne, Stalybridge, Dukinfield, Mossley, and surrounding areas. Most sedation patients travel a little further than they would for routine dentistry — for the right care, it’s worth it.
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