IV Sedation Dentistry: Painless Wisdom Tooth Removal

While it’s not the first image that comes into many patients’ minds when they think of dentistry, for many people IV sedation dentistry is actually a very necessary step to get the dental care they need. Others may see this as a comfort issue, but depending on the work that needs to be done it can be a necessary part of treatment. IV sedation dentistry is most commonly used when wisdom teeth are involved, especially when there is major impact damage, long roots, or the individual patient has a strong gag reflex which is not easily suppressed.

This type of dentistry is one that should only be done in a hospital or office with a professional doctor specializing in sedation and anesthesiology to make sure the process is working exactly as intended. Depending on a combination of factors such as patient’s preference, doctor’s preference, and the work at hand the option of full sedation or partial sedation exists. Full sedation is just like it sounds like, and all dental work will be done while the patient is unconscious. Partial sedation works the same way, except the patient is conscious and able to respond, although out of it enough that they are not likely to feel any pain or sensation and often times the patient will have no memory at all of being awake.

Aside from dealing with troublesome wisdom teeth or impacted molars, there are several other good reasons that IV sedation dentistry could be considered. Any person with a strong fear of dentists or dental work can be easily calmed through proper sedation, which isn’t just for the comfort and ease of the patient but this also makes the job of the dentist much easier and will allow for better working conditions to pull any teeth that need pulling or make repairs on any teeth that need repairs. Sensitive teeth, strong and sensitive gag reflexes, severe pain, problems getting numb, or a history of dental trauma can all be excellent reasons for a dentist deciding it’s a good idea to go with IV sedation dentistry over other more common methods.

The process starts with getting seated in the dental chair and then having the IV hooked up by a doctor. Some time is given to allow the sedative to move its way into the patient’s blood stream and through the body. As the patient relaxes the heart rate and other vitals are checked to make sure they’re all in the appropriate range. Once this is confirmed, the dentists have the ability to start their work without worrying about a panicked patient, strong gag reflex, or many of the other issues which can make dental work difficult for them.

IV sedation dentistry is not for everyone, nor should it be. If the patient has no fear of dentists, is not having any wisdom tooth work done, and has no gag reflex issues then having sedation through an IV doesn’t make a lot of sense. This is doubly true if the patient had to drive themselves. However for the right patient, this might be the solution to getting around those difficulties and to receiving the treatment you need.