Sedation Dentistry – San Antonio, TX

What Is IV Dental Sedation?

With IV sedation, we administer sedative medications directly into a patient’s bloodstream, typically through their hand or arm. The most common medications used are Midazolam and Diazepam.

This method allows sedation to take effect very quickly, so patients can relax right away and our team can get to work on their dental procedure. IV sedation is more powerful than nitrous oxide and oral conscious sedation, and its effects can take up to an entire day to wear off.

IV sedation is often termed “twilight sedation” because it can make patients fall asleep. However, it does not cause unconsciousness. If our team needs you to respond to directions or questions, you we should be able to rouse you without too much difficulty.

Who Is a Good Candidate for IV Dental Sedation? 

We typically recommend this approach for patients who have extreme dental fear or who need to undergo a complicated procedure. It can also be tremendously helpful for those who want to save time by having multiple procedures completed in a single appointment. Additionally, if you have an extremely sensitive gag reflex or are not easily numbed, IV sedation may be an appropriate solution.

Before we use IV sedation with a patient, we first ask about their medical history and any current medications they are taking. This is to ensure they remain safe throughout the procedure. Although most patients are candidates for IV sedation, there are some exceptions, such as pregnant individuals and those with certain allergies.

The Benefits of IV Dental Sedation

Some noteworthy benefits of IV sedation include:

• It induces a deep state of relaxation. This can be extremely helpful for patients who have undergone traumatic dental care experiences in the past. It also causes a degree of amnesia, so you will not remember your procedure.
• The effects kick in quickly. You can expect the relaxation to take effect very soon after we begin to administer the sedative medication.
• We can control the flow of medication. If we determine that you need more help to stay calm at any point during your procedure, we can increase your dosage.
• It can empower you to care for your smile. Some patients struggle with overwhelming fear or anxiety and simply cannot visit the dentist without the help of sedation.

What Is Oral Conscious Sedation?

Oral conscious sedation is actually one of the most popular treatments used in sedation dentistry. It’s incredibly effective and easy to use; a sedative pill is taken prior to your appointment, and by the time you arrive at our office, you’ll feel completely relaxed and ready for care. You also won’t have to worry about any needles or wearing a face mask.

During your consultation, we’ll thoroughly review your medical history to confirm that you’re a viable candidate for this method of sedation. However, once you’ve been given the green light, you can rest assured that your appointment will be a smooth experience. We can also ensure that the pill is weaker or stronger depending on the severity of your anxiety.

How Does Oral Conscious Sedation Work?

In order for the effects of the medicine to kick in by the time you’re seated for treatment, a prescription sedative is taken before the appointment even begins (usually around an hour prior). It’s worth noting that your sedation is not meant to put you to sleep entirely, meaning you’ll still be able to communicate with our team during your visit. However, because of the effectiveness of the sedative, you’ll need to have a friend or family member drive you to and from the appointment.

Are You a Good Candidate for Oral Conscious Sedation?

Oral conscious sedation is often a great option for patients who:

• Suffer from dental fear, nervousness, or anxiety
• Regularly put off seeking dental care due to their nerves
• Have difficulty keeping their mouth open or sitting in a chair for long periods of time
• Need to undergo multiple or complex treatments
• Suffer from a sensitive gag reflex
• Cannot effectively receive local anesthesia
• Have had bad dental experiences in the past

Is Sedation Dentistry Safe While Pregnant?

When sedating pregnant patients, there is sometimes a risk of the drugs being passed on to the fetus. While it’s possible under some circumstances to use sedation dentistry during pregnancy, it’s important to make sure that the timing is right to ensure the best outcomes for both the patient and their child.

In the first trimester, sedatives may lead to problems with the child’s development. In the third trimester, sedatives have been known to induce premature labor. Thus, the safest time to perform treatments that require sedation is in the second trimester.

However, we’ll usually try to wait until after pregnancy to do sedation dentistry. If we do perform sedation during pregnancy, it’ll typically be the lowest amount of the drug that we can manage.

Will I Remember the Procedure After Sedation?

While most dental sedation is designed to keep you awake for the duration of your treatment, you should be in a dreamlike state that will make it very hard to remember what actually happened during the treatment. You’ll be able to remember more of the treatment in the case of weaker sedatives, and less for stronger ones.

How Long Does Dental Sedation Last?

How long it will be before your dental sedation wears off has a lot to do with which variety of sedation you choose. In the case of nitrous oxide sedation, the effects will wear off within a few minutes of the flow of gas stopping, with no lingering effects.

IV sedation will also wear off fairly quickly, but it’s common to experience a fair amount of grogginess for a few hours afterward. Then there’s oral conscious sedation, which will linger for the rest of the day and can affect you for up to 24 hours after the procedure.

In any case, it’s usually a good idea to get someone to drive you home after in the event that you’re still under the influence of the sedative. Everyone responds to sedation differently, and while most people can expect nitrous oxide to wear off quickly, it’s better to be safe.

Is Sedation Dentistry Right For Me?

Sedation is incredibly safe for people of all ages, meaning that just about anyone who has been avoiding the dentist’s office could potentially benefit from what sedation dentistry has to offer. This of course applies to anxious patients, but there are other ways in which sedation can be useful as well.

If you have a sensitive gag reflex, for example, sedation may make you significantly less tense. You may also benefit from sedation if you have trouble sitting still during treatment, or if you’re undergoing several treatments at once.

The only caveat is that there are some medical conditions that could make sedation problematic, as well as some medications that could conflict with the sedatives. We’ll carefully review your medical history before beginning sedation dentistry.