The holidays are a time to reflect and celebrate. It's also when patients push for last-minute treatment, schedules tighten, and the steady preparation of your sedation team makes all the difference.
By Genni Burkhart
December has a sneaky way of speeding up time, especially for dental practices. Patients want to finish treatment before the year ends, schedules tighten, and dental teams often have to work through controlled chaos that keeps patients safe and on time. Sedation teams know this season is busy, familiar in its predictable patterns, and full of moments only your colleagues can truly understand.
The Top 10
1. The real holiday miracle? That one patient who finally went through with complete treatment after years of putting it off, thanks to sedation. Every year brings someone new who's avoided the dentist for years but finally completes treatment because sedation gave them a sense of control. Those cases stay with you long after the season ends.
2. Your 2026 resolution? Fewer no-shows, smoother inductions, and a team that keeps sedation protocols tighter than your budget. Better scheduling, smoother inductions, strong communication, and protocols that stay consistent. It's key to maintaining sedation safety and predictability.
3. Nothing says “Happy Holidays” like a full sedation schedule, three crown preps, and one high-anxiety molar. There's always a point in December when the phones light up with people who've avoided treatment all year, only to want everything done at once. Thankfully, sedation makes easy work of procrastinating patients.
4. Your idea of a silent night? A perfectly monitored sedation case with stable vitals and zero gag reflex. It's a great day when a patient settles in, the monitors read exactly where they should, and the team falls into a steady rhythm. This calm was created through preparation and teamwork, not just good luck.
5. While others are sipping eggnog, your team is checking expiration dates on emergency meds and oxygen tanks. While other workplaces decorate and pass around treats, your dental team is verifying oxygen levels and medication dates. It's routine, but never skipped, especially this time of year.
6. You're prepared for what December 23rd can bring. This notorious day is often filled with big cases, nervous patients, and treatment that must be completed before the holiday break. No worries! Your team can handle it with the practiced efficiency that only comes from training and experience.
7. Your team’s secret Santa? Whoever restocked the emergency kit without being asked. Someone quietly updated the emergency kit, organized IV supplies, and checked medications before the day began. No one announces it, but the whole team benefits!
8. Only during the holidays can a fruitcake double as both a dessert and a dental hazard. Cue the emergency slot.
9. “All is calm” hits different when the pulse oximeter reads 98%, and the patient’s breathing gently matches the holiday playlist. It’s the kind of calm that only shows up when everything is working exactly the way it should. Your team also knows those smooth moments feel like a small gift in the middle of the hectic holiday season.
10. While everyone else is planning their holiday spread, you’re checking Midazolam numbers. Some people bake; some people dose. Both require precision.
That's a Wrap!
If nothing else, December proves how well-prepared sedation teams can easily adapt when everything happens all at once. It's truly the closest thing to a "Silent Night" when your dental team can keep the schedule steady, the environment calm, and the work moving forward. Dentistry isn't always a glamorous job, but sedation can help create the closest thing to holiday magic your dental practice will ever see in December.
Author: With over 15 years as a published journalist, editor, and writer, Genni Burkhart's career has spanned politics, healthcare, law, business finance, technology, and news. She resides in Northern Colorado, where she works as the editor-in-chief of the Incisor at DOCS Education.
