Sleep Sedation (IV)

Our team of dental experts believes that every patient deserves to be relaxed and comfortable when receiving dental care. So, we offer sleep sedation for a many procedures including root canals and our pediatric dentistry services.

Sleep sedation may be a viable option for your dental treatment if you:

• Are not numbed easily from local anesthetics

• Want to sleep through your dental visit

• Are nervous about dental treatment

• Have an easily triggered gag reflex

• Fear dental visits

• Require a lot of work in a single visit

• Haven’t been to the dentist in a long time

Sleep sedation is a commonly used method for sedation dentistry. In this procedure at least three liters of oxygen per minute titrate slowly with a general anesthetic until the patient is sedated to the point of no memory and has no fear. The patient then falls into a verbally arousable state of light sleep known as twilight sleep. This type of sleep is not true unconsciousness, but rather an amnesiac state where the patient experiences a highly reduced sensitivity to pain. The pulse rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and respiration rate are all monitored closely during & after the procedure to ensure the safety of the patient.

Sleep sedation is one of the most effective techniques in relieving dental anxiety for patients and is administered intravenously. It is the preferred method for many patients and is administered directly into the arm to provide rapid sedation.

Pros of IV Sleep Sedation:

• Patients have little memory of the procedure

• Rapid onset

• IV is a deeper sedation than oral or inhaled sedatives

• Gag reflex is greatly diminished

• Dosage is measured to exact specification of individual

• Great for bypassing dental anxiety

• Unwanted reactions to the drug can be quickly & easily reversed

Cons of IV Sleep Sedation:

• Cannot drive home by yourself

• Site of injection can become infected

• More expensive procedure