Dental anxiety can be a huge obstacle, one that seems impossible to overcome. Luckily, modern dentistry provides solutions to ensure you are relaxed and comfortable sitting in the dental chair.
IV Sedation has become a very popular and safe way of handling dental anxiety and fear. Because of the intravenous nature of this sedation, it should be performed by Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, CRNA
It’s important to have a separate nurse anesthetist, whose sole purpose is to perform the sedation and monitor the patient’s vital signs. Ensure they are experienced and properly trained in providing IV sedation, as well as meeting all the standards of the ADA Guidelines for the Use of Sedation and General Anesthesia by Dentists.
While many dentists are still performing both the anesthesia and dental treatment at the same time, this type of single operator model has been proven to be unsafe.
While patient won’t be totally asleep, they won’t remember much of the appointment if any, but they will able to respond to what the dentist asks them. The patient will get the dental work they need without being afraid or creating bad memories about the dentist. They will be relaxed the entire time, continuously monitored by the CRNA.
Colgate answers the question “What Is IV Sedation Dentistry?”
IV sedation dentistry works as a form of conscious sedation to help you feel relaxed during your appointment. This method does not put you fully to sleep, but it does make you less aware of your surroundings — including anything the dentist may or may not be doing to your mouth. That means you can still respond to verbal commands or gentle nudging, and you should not need help breathing.
IV sedation provides several benefits:
It starts working quickly, and you feel minimal to no pain during the procedure.
The dentist can monitor your vitals and easily adjust the dosage.
It creates a long period of amnesia, so you won’t remember the procedure at all when you wake up.
It allows you to cooperate for a more extended period, so your dentist can perform multiple procedures with only one appointment.
