Canberra Sedation Dentistry · Braddon ACT
University of Sydney Sedation Trained Sleep through it.
Wake up done.
Sedation dentistry at Dental Embassy in Braddon, Canberra uses nitrous oxide (happy gas), oral sedation and IV sedation so anxious patients can sleep through treatment and wake up with everything done.
USyd
Sedation Qualification
16+
Years in Australia
ADA
Board Director NSW & ACT
3
Sedation Methods
We understand
You’re not alone in feeling this way
Dental anxiety affects up to 1 in 6 Australian adults. Some people haven’t seen a dentist in years — not because they don’t care about their teeth, but because the thought of sitting in the chair is genuinely overwhelming.
Sedation dentistry exists precisely for this. It lets you receive the dental care you need while feeling calm, relaxed, and comfortable — sometimes with little or no memory of the procedure at all.
A team built around one idea: you should never feel afraid to look after your health.
Your options
Three levels of sedation, tailored to you
Every patient is different. We’ll recommend the right level based on your anxiety, the procedure, and your medical history.
Nitrous Oxide
Breathe through a small mask and feel calm within minutes. You stay fully awake, can respond to questions, and the effects wear off quickly. Most patients drive themselves home.
Learn more →
IV Conscious Sedation
A small IV puts you into a deeply relaxed, dream-like state. You can still breathe on your own, but most patients remember little or nothing of the appointment. A dedicated sedationist monitors you throughout.
Learn more →
Oral Sedation
Take a prescribed tablet before your appointment to feel relaxed and drowsy. A good option for patients who prefer not to have an IV but need more than nitrous oxide alone.
Learn more →Is it right for you?
Sedation dentistry is for people who…
- Feel anxious or fearful about dental visits
- Have avoided the dentist for months or years
- Need extensive work done in fewer appointments
- Have a strong gag reflex or sensitive teeth
- Have had a traumatic dental experience in the past
- Simply want a calmer, more comfortable experience
“Nobody should have to feel afraid to take care of themselves. My job is to make sure you never do.”
— Dr Sri
Your vitals monitored throughout every procedure
Getting started
Three simple steps
No pressure, no rush. We’ll go at your pace.
Consultation
We’ll discuss your concerns, review your medical history, and recommend the right sedation option.
Your Appointment
Your sedation is administered, your vital signs are monitored throughout, and the dental work is completed while you rest.
Recovery
We’ll monitor you until you’re ready to go. Many patients are surprised at how comfortable it was.
Sedation options in detail
Which sedation method is right for you?
Not every patient needs the same level of sedation. We offer three options — from mild relaxation to deep conscious sedation — and we’ll recommend the right one for you.
| Nitrous Oxide | IV Sedation | Oral Sedation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sedation level | Mild | Moderate–Deep | Mild–Moderate |
| Administered via | Mask over nose | Small IV cannula | Tablet before visit |
| Consciousness | Fully awake | Semi-conscious | Drowsy but awake |
| Memory of procedure | Full recall | Little or none | Partial recall |
| Recovery time | Minutes | 2–4 hours | Several hours |
| Can drive home? | Usually yes | No — need a driver | No — need a driver |
Mild sedation
Nitrous oxide (happy gas)
Nitrous oxide is inhaled through a small mask that fits over your nose during your appointment. Within a few minutes, you’ll feel calm, slightly euphoric, and deeply relaxed — but fully conscious and able to respond throughout.
The effects wear off within minutes of removing the mask. Most patients are able to drive themselves home afterward, although we’ll confirm this based on your individual situation.
Best suited for
- Mild to moderate dental anxiety
- Needle phobia (helps you relax before local anaesthetic)
- Routine procedures — fillings, cleans, minor treatments
- Patients who want to feel relaxed without deeper sedation
- Safe for most adults and many children
Our specialty
IV conscious sedation
Intravenous (IV) sedation involves medication delivered directly into a vein in your arm or hand through a small cannula. Within moments, you enter a deeply relaxed, drowsy state — often described as feeling like a heavy, dreamless sleep.
You can still breathe independently and respond if spoken to, but most patients have little or no memory of the appointment afterward. This is different from general anaesthesia — you are not fully unconscious.
Dr Sri holds a Graduate Diploma in Clinical Dentistry (Conscious Sedation) from the University of Sydney and administers IV sedation personally. Anna Huang, our dedicated travelling sedationist, also provides IV sedation at the practice — and your vital signs are monitored continuously throughout every procedure.
Best suited for
- Moderate to severe dental anxiety or phobia
- Complex or lengthy procedures (extractions, implants)
- Patients who have avoided dental care for years
- Strong gag reflex
- Getting significant work done in a single sitting
What to expect
Your IV sedation appointment
Before
You’ll receive specific fasting instructions — typically no food for six hours and no clear liquids for two hours before your appointment. Arrange for a responsible adult to drive you to and from the practice and stay with you for the rest of the day. Wear comfortable, loose clothing.
During
A small IV cannula is placed in your hand or forearm and the sedation medication is administered by our sedationist. Once you’re settled and comfortable, the dental work proceeds while your vital signs are monitored continuously. Most patients describe the experience as feeling like they drifted off and were back before they knew it.
After
You’ll rest in our recovery area until you’re alert enough to go home with your escort. Mild grogginess or nausea is normal and resolves within a few hours. Do not drive, operate machinery, drink alcohol, or make important decisions for 24 hours after IV sedation.
Tablet-based sedation
Oral sedation
For patients who prefer not to have an IV but need more relaxation than nitrous oxide alone, oral sedation provides a middle ground. You take a prescribed sedative tablet before your appointment, which produces a calm, drowsy state by the time you arrive.
You remain conscious throughout, though you may feel very relaxed and somewhat sleepy. The effects last several hours, so you’ll need someone to drive you to and from the practice.
Best suited for
- Patients who prefer tablets over needles/IVs
- Mild to moderate dental anxiety
- When nitrous oxide isn’t enough but IV sedation isn’t necessary
Patient safety
Your safety is the priority
All sedation at the practice is overseen by clinicians with dedicated postgraduate qualifications — Dr Sri holds a Graduate Diploma in Clinical Dentistry (Conscious Sedation) from the University of Sydney and administers IV sedation himself, with Anna Huang, a dedicated travelling sedationist, also providing IV sedation. Your vital signs (oxygen levels, heart rate, blood pressure) are monitored continuously throughout every sedation appointment. A thorough medical assessment is always conducted before any sedation is planned, and we’ll discuss the specific risks and requirements with you at your consultation.
Not everyone is a suitable candidate for every type of sedation. Your medical history, current medications, and the procedure planned all factor into our recommendation.
Your sedation team
The people behind the calm
Dr Srikanth Karumuri
Principal Dentist · Sedation
Dr Srikanth Karumuri — known to his patients as Dr Sri — began his dental career with a Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences in India, where he also gained specialist-level training in paediatric dentistry.
After moving to Australia in 2010, Dr Sri established himself in Canberra in 2014 and founded Dental Embassy — a practice built on the principle that good dental care should be accessible to everyone, including those who find dental visits genuinely difficult.
Recognising that many patients were avoiding necessary care due to anxiety, Dr Sri pursued further training at the University of Sydney, completing a Graduate Diploma in Clinical Dentistry (Conscious Sedation). This is one of Australia’s most respected postgraduate qualifications in sedation.
Today, sedation dentistry is a core part of what Dental Embassy offers — not as an afterthought, but as a genuine commitment to reaching patients who have been left behind by traditional dental practice.
Qualifications
- GradDipClinDent (Conscious Sedation) — University of Sydney
- MDS — Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences
- Specialist-level paediatric dentistry training
- Defence Health dental provider
Professional Leadership
- Non-Executive Board Director — ADA NSW & ACT
- ACT Representative — Federal ADA Advisory Committee
- Past President — ACT Dental Study Group
- 16+ years practising in Australia (Canberra since 2014)
Anna Huang
Dedicated Travelling IV Sedationist
Anna is a dedicated travelling sedationist who provides IV sedation at the practice. Her sole focus during your procedure is managing your sedation and monitoring your wellbeing, while the dental team focuses on the treatment itself.
Dr Simon Flanagan
Surgical Dentist
Dr Simon holds postgraduate qualifications in oral surgery and handles complex extractions, wisdom teeth, and surgical cases in-house — so surgical work and sedation happen together, under one roof, without a referral elsewhere.
“I’ve seen too many patients suffer in silence — avoiding care for years because the thought of sitting in the dental chair was too overwhelming. Sedation dentistry changes that. It lets me treat people who would otherwise go untreated, and that is deeply rewarding.”
One practice. One team. One address.
Canberra Sedation Dentistry is a dedicated service of Dental Embassy — Dr Sri’s established dental practice in Braddon, Canberra, offering the full range of general, cosmetic, restorative, and preventative dental care. When you book a sedation appointment, you’ll be seen at the Dental Embassy practice with the same team, the same facilities, and the same commitment to quality care.
Visit Dental Embassy →Your questions answered
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about sedation dentistry. If your question isn’t here, call us on 1300 000 230 — we’re happy to talk it through.
Yes. Sedation dentistry is widely practised and has an excellent safety record when administered by qualified practitioners. At Dental Embassy, Dr Sri holds a Graduate Diploma in Clinical Dentistry (Conscious Sedation) from the University of Sydney and administers IV sedation personally. Anna Huang, a dedicated travelling sedationist, also provides IV sedation at the practice. We monitor your vital signs throughout the procedure and conduct a thorough medical history review before recommending any sedation method.
Not in the way general anaesthesia works. With sedation dentistry, you remain in a deeply relaxed state where you can still breathe on your own and respond to verbal cues. However, most patients feel as though they were asleep and have little or no memory of the procedure afterward. IV sedation provides the deepest level of relaxation available in a dental setting, while nitrous oxide offers the lightest.
With sedation (nitrous oxide, oral, or IV), you remain conscious to some degree — you can breathe on your own and respond to directions. With general anaesthesia, you are fully unconscious and require airway management. Sedation is performed in our dental practice; general anaesthesia requires a hospital setting. For most patients with dental anxiety, sedation is sufficient and much simpler.
It depends on the type. Nitrous oxide wears off within minutes of removing the mask — most patients can drive themselves home. IV sedation effects typically last 2–4 hours after the procedure, and oral sedation can last several hours. For IV and oral sedation, you will need someone to drive you home and stay with you for the rest of the day.
Only after nitrous oxide (happy gas), which clears your system within minutes. If you receive oral sedation or IV sedation, you must not drive for 24 hours. You will need a companion to drive you home and stay with you for the rest of the day. We will confirm these requirements with you before your appointment.
For nitrous oxide, there are generally no fasting requirements. For IV sedation and oral sedation, you will receive specific instructions — typically no food for six hours and no clear liquids for two hours before your appointment. These are important safety precautions.
Absolutely. This is one of the most common concerns, and it is completely understandable. We can use nitrous oxide first to help you relax before the IV is placed. Once you are calm and comfortable from the nitrous, the cannula insertion is much more manageable — most patients barely notice it. We will never rush you.
Never. A significant number of our sedation patients have not seen a dentist in years — sometimes decades. We understand why, and we are here to help, not to judge. Dr Sri and the team will focus on getting you comfortable and creating a plan to address your dental needs at a pace that works for you.
Nitrous oxide is safe for most children and is commonly used in paediatric dentistry. Dr Sri has specialist-level paediatric training and will assess whether sedation is appropriate for your child based on their age, medical history, and the procedure required. IV sedation for children is assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Almost any dental procedure can be performed under sedation — from routine fillings and cleans to extractions, root canals, crowns, and implants. Sedation is particularly beneficial for longer or more complex procedures, as it allows us to complete more work in a single visit while you remain comfortable throughout.
The cost varies depending on the sedation method and the length of your appointment. Nitrous oxide is the most affordable option, while IV sedation carries a higher fee because it involves a dedicated sedationist and continuous monitoring. We provide a clear cost estimate at your consultation so there are no surprises. Payment plans are available to help spread the cost.
Some private health funds cover a portion of sedation costs under their dental extras or major dental cover, but coverage varies between funds and policy levels. Nitrous oxide is more commonly covered than IV sedation. We recommend checking with your fund before your appointment. Our reception team can help you understand your coverage and provide the item numbers your fund will need. We are also a Defence Health dental provider.
No referral is needed. You can contact us directly to book a sedation consultation. During this appointment, we will assess your suitability for sedation, discuss your dental needs, and create a treatment plan.
Canberra Sedation Dentistry is a dedicated sedation service of Dental Embassy — Dr Sri’s established dental practice in Braddon, Canberra. When you book, your appointment takes place at the Dental Embassy practice with the same experienced team and facilities.
Ready to sleep through your next appointment?
Book a calm first visit — no pressure, no judgement, just a conversation about your options.