39. Ryan’s Sedation Nightmare and What He Learned

In this raw and relatable episode of The Dentists Show, Ryan opens up about one of the most stressful sedation cases he’s ever faced—a situation that pushed him to his edge as a dentist and leader. What started as a routine All-On-X procedure under IV sedation turned into a chaotic and dangerous experience when the patient became combative mid-surgery.

Ryan walks us through the moment-by-moment decisions he had to make—balancing patient safety, team confidence, and the legal and emotional weight of it all. Chase jumps in with his own stories, and together they unpack the wild world of sedation dentistry, sharing lessons on teamwork, emotional resilience, and knowing when to laugh so you don’t cry.

 If you've ever thought, Why do I do this? — this episode is for you.

🎧 Loved this episode? If you’ve ever had a day where everything went sideways in the operatory, you’re not alone. Share this episode with a fellow dentist who could use a laugh (or a therapy session), and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss these real, unfiltered convos from the trenches of dentistry.

LINKS:

https://www.thedentistsshow.com

Episode Minute By Minute: 

• 0:00 – Sweaty backs, gas station food, and Scottsdale heat
• 2:00 – Team outings and fine dining in surprising places
• 3:00 – Burnt wood decor and the irony of fire
• 3:40 – Ryan’s no-good, very bad sedation day begins
• 5:00 – When a patient goes from peaceful to combative
• 6:20 – The mental chaos of making high-stakes calls fast
• 7:30 – Giving reversal meds and hoping for the best
• 9:00 – How flumazenil saved the day—after a quick Google
• 10:30 – Was she over-sedated? Or just hit fight-or-flight?
• 12:00 – Redheads, weed, and sedation unpredictability
• 13:40 – When dentistry feels like a combat sport
• 15:00 – Why sedation stress hits differently
• 16:20 – Ryan’s go-to coping mantra on bad days
• 17:30 – The moment you walk past your family and just need a minute
• 18:30 – Chase’s sedation fails and why weed smokers are the worst
• 20:00 – Rookie assistants, real-time chaos, and how to train on the fly
• 21:20 – PSA: Your worst day isn’t your last one
• 22:15 – Dark dentist humor and the stress of “almost”
• 23:00 – Pulse ox tricks and unexpected saves
• 24:30 – What stress actually means for your growth
• 25:00 – Learning from the frustration and doing it better next time
• 26:00 – Keep calm, finish the case, and go home at 3
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