IV sedation (intravenous sedation) in dentistry is mainly intended to offer anxiety control to phobic or severely anxious patients. It is usually recommended to help the patient relax during long and stressful procedures such as wisdom tooth extractions, dental implant placement, gum surgery and other invasive treatments.
IV sedation is a method of “conscious sedation”. The patient remains conscious during treatment, able to respond to questions or requests from the dentist, but in a totally relaxed state and relieved from any anxieties. However the amnesic effects of the used anti-anxiety medications give patients the impression that they slept through the procedure.
Intravenous sedation means that the sedative medication is administered directly into the bloodstream using a needle inserted into a vein. This allows the fast onset of sedation and gives the dentist better control on the sedation level, which are considered as its main advantages over other methods. Before the procedure the patient must follow the pre-operative instructions given by the dentist in the consultation appointment.