Intravenous (IV) Sedation
The technique of intravenous sedation in dentistry is recommended to help you relax if you are dentally anxious or require more complex dental procedures.
A sedation-trained dentist or anaesthetist will administer intravenous sedatives, which will make you feel at ease at the start of your dental appointment.
This is a safe technique used widely in dentistry within the general dental practice to avoid the need for a general anaesthetic.
We provide light and moderate level (advanced) sedation so you will be able to talk and respond to instructions during your treatment, whilst feeling calm so that your dentist can perform treatment without any difficulty.
Sedation also acts as a strong amnesic so most people forget about the majority of the dental procedure.
SEDATION techniques
At Dental Sedation Solutions, we understand that everybody is different so we offer a variety of techniques for different needs. Below are some options that we provide:
- Intravenous sedation - single drug technique
- Oral and transmucosal sedation with midazolam for those who suffer from extreme needle phobia and sensory issues such as Autism
- Advanced IV sedation techniques using a combination of drugs to help achieve a deeper level of sedation, useful for surgical implant dentistry
- Inhalation sedation for adults and children using nitrous oxide (happy air sedation)
- Pre-medication - a light sedative tablet to help overcome mild anxiety
- Hypnotherapy and relaxation techniques are provided online by our Clinical Hypnotherapist to prepare you before your dental visit and provide you with tools to get you through treatment without sedation.
- General Anaesthetic provided in Hospital for adults and children who cannot manage with sedation alone.
I'm worried about cannulation
We understand that cannulation can be uncomfortable, particularly if your anxious about needles. For simple sedation we use very small paediatric cannulas so this part is less noticeable.
We will discuss your anxieties at your assessment visit and can provide you with premedication and/or numbing cream to apply to your hand/arm before your appointment if necessary so the cannulation procedure is pain-free.
For advanced techniques, we use a larger cannula. If you feel that you require some numbing cream please ask us and we will provide this for you.
Our team of Sedationists and Anaesthetists will aim to ensure you are comfortable and relaxed throughout your procedure.
As a really nervous patient who has never previously been sedated, I was really worried about how it would feel and if it would work for me. I’m really happy to say that I have no memory of the procedure, I woke up with no nausea or pain. I worried for so long about being sedated.
Simon G - Patient Review