Every time you step inside your dentist’s office, beads of sweat start pouring down your face. That’s quite understandable since a few hours on the dental chair always turns into a traumatic experience for you thanks to your dental anxieties. Therefore, as soon as your dentist informs you that you’re free to undergo IV sedation on your next dental appointment, you immediately heave a sigh of relief. But before getting caught up in the euphoria, you first need to know what IV sedation is all about, so that you can fully prepare yourself for your procedure.
What is IV sedation?
Intravenous (IV) sedation is a dental sedation method that requires your dentist to insert a needle into your arm or hand in order to transfer sedatives directly to your veins.
What steps are involved in IV sedation?
Pre-IV sedation consultation Before putting you under IV sedation, your dentist first schedules a consultation with you to explain the risks and benefits of your procedure, specify some pre-operative instructions, and answer all of your questions.
Patient evaluation and preparation On the day of your procedure, your dentist performs a quick evaluation on you to determine whether you’re completely healthy and haven’t taken any medications that may negatively react with the sedatives. If your dentist doesn’t find anything that could affect the sedation process, he will then escort you to the dental chair and place a pulse oximeter on your finger to closely monitor your vital signs throughout your procedure.
Inhalation sedation To keep you calm while receiving the needle, your dentist may first administer inhalation sedation.
IV sedation Once you’re calm enough, your dentist starts the IV sedation process by inserting a needle wrapped in a soft plastic tube into a vein found in your arms or hands. After injecting you with the needle, your dentist removes it and leaves the tube to transfer the sedatives.
Patient monitoring Your dentist then checks if you’re completely sedated or require an extra dose of the sedatives before finally performing the required dental treatment on you.
To reinforce your knowledge on IV sedation, you may book an appointment with your Santa Cruz dentist by calling 831-440-7577 or accomplishing our patient form.
As a second-generation dentist,Dr. Matiasevich was raised in Santa Cruz. Dr. Matiasevich completed his undergraduate work in economics at the University of California Irvine and then attended the University of Southern California for his dental degree.