IV Sedation: What to Expect Before, During After

At The Dentist of Allen, we can help you have a relaxing, comfortable experience at the dentist. With easy sedation in dental care, you’ll be able to leave your fears at home!

As a leading IV sedation dentist in Allen, Texas, Kris Koelker DDS is happy to offer patients several tips that help prepare them for the IV sedation process. While IV sedation provides maximum comfort and anxiety relief for patients with little to no risk of complications, there are still some important factors to note regarding the sedation process and your dental procedure.

BEFORE YOUR DENTAL PROCEDURE

Patients should take some simple steps prior to undergoing IV sedation to better ensure that they enjoy the safest, most relaxing procedure possible.

Prior to arriving at our office for IV sedation, patients should:

• Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing.
• Avoid eating or drinking 6-8 hours prior to the dental procedure.
• Avoid taking any medications prior to the procedure (unless previously approved by your dentist).
• Alert your dentist of any significant changes in medical history.
• Remove jewelry and nail polish.
• Bring an escort with you to our office.

DURING YOUR DENTAL PROCEDURE

After arriving at our office in Allen, we will start an IV for the patient. The IV is typically started in a person’s hand or arm. The majority of medications will be administered through this IV and pushed into the patient’s bloodstream during the procedure. Typical medications include sedatives, pain medicine, anti-inflammatories, and/or steroids.

Through IV sedation, our patients enjoy a highly relaxed state free from any pain or discomfort. It is important to note that a patient goes through multiple levels of sedation before he/she is fully conscious. Because of this fact, your dentist is aware of any discomfort the patient experiences prior to the patient becoming aware of it, and the dentist can increase or decrease the amount of sedation medication and/or local anesthetic throughout the dental procedure to ensure the patient’s maximum comfort. Sedation can be maintained for multiple hours when necessary.

Often, IV sedation will be utilized for significant dental procedures including tooth extractions, routine wisdom teeth removal, or multiple root canals. Because IV sedation is the strongest form of conscious sedation, patients should expect to have moderate to high levels of amnesia during the procedure.

AFTER YOUR DENTAL PROCEDURE

Patients may be slightly drowsy following IV sedation; however, the drowsiness should subside within several hours following the procedure.

Because our patients enjoy a highly relaxed state during IV sedation, they should expect some of the amnesia effects to extend past the procedure. For this reason, an escort is required to drive the dental patient back home following his/her procedure, and patients should avoid strenuous activity, taking medications (unless approved by the dentist), drinking alcohol, making important decisions, and operating cars or heavy machinery for at least 24 hours after the IV sedation. Returning to work following IV sedation is not recommended; however, patients should be suitable to work within 24 hours of a procedure.

If you live in the Allen, Texas area and are interested in visiting a sedation dentist, call to schedule your appointment.

At The Dentist of Allen, we will take the time to get to know you and understand what all of your concerns are prior to making a formal recommendation as to the type of sedation dentistry that you should consider.