IV sedation – how it can change the way you view the dentist forever
Does the thought of visiting the dentist have you feeling anxious weeks before your treatment? No one should have to suffer from dental anxiety and here at Smile Up, our aim is to make you feel relaxed about your forthcoming treatment. We can offer patients IV (intravenous sedation) to tackle your fears and help to positively shape your experience of the dentist.
IV sedation
IV sedation is administered directly into the vein via a small plastic tube known as a cannula and is a great option for patients who have an intense fear of the dentist or for those who are undergoing a potentially painful procedure. Once the sedative is administered, you will feel the full effects within 10 seconds, so you don’t have to worry about experiencing any part of treatment without the effects of sedation. Here at Smile Up we use Midazolam, the most commonly used sedative for IV sedation, known for its effective amnesic influence and relaxing effect on patients.
The principal effects of IV sedation:
- Reduce dental anxiety and make your feel relaxed.
- Make you feel sleepy.
- You will be unaware of the procedure.
- You may have partial or total memory loss of the procedure.
- Despite being relaxed and drowsy, you will still be able to co-operate with the dentist should they need you to open your mouth wide, for example.
- Eliminate uncomfortable gag reflex in patients.
How sedation can change your perception of the dentist
Dental phobia can be an intense internal struggle for many people and the statistics certainly back this up, with 1 in 4 Brits being reported to suffer from some kind of dental phobia. Once you have had treatment performed under sedation, you may find this totally changes your opinion and feeling towards treatment and you may no longer require sedation for future treatments.
Dental practices are not the intimidating places they used to be. Karen Coates, a dental adviser at the British Dental Health Foundation said that ‘Most people who are scared of the dentist have bad memories from childhood smells and sounds of the surgery – modern surgeries are much friendlier environment’.
We offer 7 day dentistry to suit the busy lives of our patients: please see our opening hours below.
