Taking care of your teeth is important, not only to your oral health, but also to your overall systemic health. Gum disease has been linked to a host of conditions, from strokes to complications with pregnancy.

Don’t let fear of the dentist jeopardize your health.

IV sedation dentistry can ease your fears and make visiting the dentist like a walk in the park.

What is IV Sedation?

Intravenous (IV) sedation involves administering sedatives directly into the blood system through the veins. IV sedation dentistry relaxes the patient to the point that they no longer feel anxious, but the patient typically does not fall asleep. However, in many cases the patient remembers little to nothing about the procedure afterward, creating the impression that they were asleep.

Why IV Sedation?

Administering sedatives intravenously allows us to have much greater control over the level of relaxation throughout the procedure.

While IV sedation generally is used in more extensive procedures, such as root canals, it can effectively relax an otherwise anxious patient for any dental procedure.

After evaluating your needs, medical history, and current medications, we might recommend IV sedation dentistry due to:

  • Severe anxiety
  • Sensitive gag reflex
  • TMJ or other neuromuscular issues that make it difficult to hold your mouth open

Other Sedation Techniques

IV sedation dentistry is just one of the ways we can make your visit to the dentist more pleasant. We also offer:

  • Oral conscious sedation, which involves anti-anxiety pills taken about an hour before the procedure.
  • Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, which can be used alone, or in concert with either IV sedation, or oral conscious sedation.

Safety Precautions

Our Houston dentists, and our on-staff periodontist are trained in IV sedation dentistry, and managing the risks associated with this technique. They take the following steps to ensure your safety:

  • You will not be able to eat or drink for eight hours prior to your appointment, unless instructed otherwise.
  • We will monitor all vital signs during sedation, and will adjust the level of sedation as needed.
  • You will not be able to drive until the sedative wears off, so you must arrange for an adult to take you to and from your appointment.

Our top priority is providing a safe, comfortable dental experience for our patients. If you’re in the Houston area, call our gentle dentists today to schedule your next checkup.