If you are anxious about visiting the dentist or have a dental phobia, intravenous sedation can help you feel deeply relaxed, helping you get the treatment you may have otherwise avoided.
At High Street Dental Practice, we provide IV sedation under the specialist care of consultant anaesthetists who are usually hospital-based when not providing care at our practice.
This type of sedation can help you to feel extremely relaxed during your treatment, but you will still be able to communicate with the dentist. Patients often report to us that they remember very little about the experience following treatment and that they found the procedure to be extremely helpful for their needs.
Treatment steps
- The anaesthetist will carefully assess your general health including checking your blood pressure, weight and oxygen levels.
- The calming drug is delivered gradually through a soft plastic tube which is inserted in the back of your hand or arm with a fine needle and safely secured. You will be closely monitored at all times and sedation is only carried out by highly qualified staff.
- If necessary, you will also have a local anaesthetic, but this will usually be administered once you are completely relaxed.
The effects of sedation will take several hours to wear off so you will need someone to take you home and look after you.
