Additional Services
IV Sedation
Providers: Dr. Ross Hayden Office: Springfield
Will I be asleep?
A lot of dental offices use terms such as "sleep dentistry" or "twilight sleep" when talking about IV sedation. This is confusing, because it suggests that IV sedation involves being put to sleep. In reality, you remain conscious during IV sedation. You will also be able to understand and respond to requests from your dentist.
However, you may not remember much about what went on because of two factors: firstly, in most people, IV sedation induces a state of deep relaxation and a feeling of not being bothered by what's going on. Secondly, the drugs used for IV sedation can produce either partial or full memory loss (amnesia) for the period of time when the drug first kicks in until it wears off. As a result, time will appear to pass very quickly and you will not recall much, or perhaps even nothing at all, of what happened. So it may, indeed, appear as if you were "asleep" during the procedure.
Is it still necessary to be numbed with local anaesthetic? Will my dentist numb my gums before or after I'm sedated?
The drugs which are usually used for IV sedation are not painkillers (although some pain-killing drugs are occasionally added, see below for a more detailed discussion), but anti-anxiety drugs. While they relax you and make you forget what happens, you will still need to be numbed.
If you have a fear of injections, you will not be numbed until the IV sedation has fully kicked in. If you have a phobia of needles, you will very probably be relaxed enough not to care by this stage. Your dentist will then wait until the local anaesthetic has taken effect (i. e. until you're numb) before starting on any procedure.
Is it safe? Are there any contraindications?
IV sedation is EXTREMELY safe when carried out under the supervision of a specially-trained dentist. Purely statistically speaking, it's even safer than local anaesthetic on its own!
In our office, the dentist and one of his assistant’s is ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) certified and all of our assisting staff are basic life support certified. One of our team is always with you and your vital signs are constantly monitored during the entire visit. You are never alone, so you won’t have to worry about who is around you while you are relaxing.
However, contraindications include pregnancy, known allergy to benzos, alcohol intoxication, CNS depression, and some instances of glaucoma. Cautions include psychosis, impaired lung or kidney or liver function, and advanced age. Heart disease is generally not a contraindication.
What are the main advantages of IV sedation?
• The onset of action is very rapid, and drug dosage and level of sedation can be tailored to meet the individual's needs. This is a huge advantage compared to oral sedation, where the effects can be very unreliable. IV sedation, on the other hand, is both highly effective and highly reliable.
• Can be ideal for those with a phobia of dental injections
• Unlike General Anaesthesia or Deep Sedation, conscious IV sedation doesn't really introduce any compromises per set in terms of carrying out the actual procedures, because people are conscious and they can cooperate with instructions, and there is no airway tube involved.
• The gag reflex is hugely diminished - people receiving IV sedation rarely experience difficulty with gagging. However, if minimizing a severe gag reflex is the main objective, inhalation sedation is usually tried first. Only if that fails to diminish the gag reflex should IV sedation be used for this purpose.
Are there any disadvantages?
• A needle has to be put in the arm or hand ("venipuncture"). If you have a general phobia of needles, this isn't much fun. If you cannot tolerate this, having inhalation sedation ("laughing gas") before the venipuncture helps, because it relaxes you and produces a tingling feeling in arms and legs which distracts from the venipuncture.
• Recovery from IV administered drugs is not complete at the end of dental treatment. You need to be escorted by a responsible adult.
After IV Sedation:
(1) Have your escort take you home and rest for the remainder of the day.
(2) Have an adult stay with you until you're fully alert.
(3) Don't perform any strenuous or hazardous activities and don't drive a motor vehicle for the rest of the day.
(4) Don't eat a heavy meal immediately. If you're hungry, eat something light, e. g. liquids and toast.
(5) If you experience nausea, lie down for a while or drink a glass of soda.
(6) Don't drink alcohol or take medications for the rest of the day unless you've contacted Dr. Hayden first.
(7) Take medications as directed.
(8) If you have any unusual problems, call us.
