Sedation delivered with precision
With IV sedation, sedative medication is delivered directly into a vein, taking effect quickly and allowing your doctor to adjust the level of sedation moment to moment throughout your procedure. You remain in a deeply relaxed, sleepy "twilight" state while your breathing, heart rate, and oxygen levels are continuously monitored. Most patients doze and remember little to nothing afterward.
Intravenous methods require more experience to be administered and monitored properly, and should be used only by clinicians with extensive training in these techniques. Our periodontists provide IV sedation routinely as part of surgical care at all five offices, with sophisticated monitoring equipment and a trained team attending you at every moment.
Deeper sedation is often recommended for patients who can't relax enough for treatment to be performed safely with lighter options, who need surgery that would be difficult to tolerate while awake, or who want a lot of dental work completed in one long appointment rather than many shorter visits.
Before intravenous sedation
- Do not eat or drink anything, including water, for eight hours prior to the scheduled appointment.
- No smoking for at least 12 hours before surgery.
- A responsible adult must accompany you to the office, remain during the procedure, and drive you home after recovery.
- Wear loose-fitting clothing with short sleeves, or sleeves that roll up past the elbow.
- Contact lenses, jewelry, and dentures must be removed at the time of surgery; skip lipstick, excessive makeup, and nail polish that day.
- If you have an illness such as a cold, sore throat, or stomach upset, please notify the office.
- Do not drive a vehicle or operate machinery for 24 hours following the procedure.
- If you take any oral medications, check with us before your surgical date for instructions.
