Intravenous (IV) Sedation

Some Cincinnati residents are nervous about the simplest of dental cleanings, while many more are scared stiff at the prospect of more complex procedures like fillings and root canals. Many people don’t realize that oral health is irrevocably linked with a person’s overall wellness, and if they paid more attention to taking care of their teeth, they would be blessed with better overall health. The treatments can prevent other serious, more painful oral and overall health issues from becoming more serious. In fact, many of these procedures can be carried out without the patient experiencing much pain or discomfort at all through the use of sedation dentistry.

Sedation dentistry provides many methods of reducing the anxiety, pain and fears that accompanies sitting in a dentist’s chair. Many Cincinnati patients opt for intravenous drugs which often render a patient into a light sleep. During IV sedation the patient remains conscious to some extent, but is completely unaware of the dental procedures they are undergoing.

IV sedation is very carefully controlled and, since the drug is administered directly into the blood stream, can be increased if the patient requires more. The majority of the patients who have undergone IV sedation cannot tell how long the procedure took; they feel that they have spent only a few minutes in the dentist’s chair, when the actual time is more like an hour.

Patients will need to arrange for someone to drive them home and stay with them for the remainder of the day since the drugs can take several hours to wear off.

The innovation of IV sedation means that patients who are normally afraid of having any sort of dental treatment done do not have to be afraid anymore. Being afraid of pain and discomfort is not unusual or something to be ashamed of, but avoiding necessary health care because of it can place a person in a more compromising health position.

Patients should talk to their Cincinnati-area dentist about whether or not sedation dentistry is right for them. IV sedation and other sedation alternatives have helped thousands of patients overcome their dental phobia and become much happier patients.