Local anesthetic is consistently used for all of our procedures. With a local anesthetic you are numb for the procedure but you are fully aware of what is going on. We feel that for most people this type of sedation works very well. However, many people have anxiety associated with dental or surgical procedures. In order to make those patients more comfortable for their visits, we offer a choice between two types of sedation: oral conscious sedation or IV sedation.
Oral Conscious Sedation
The oral conscious sedation approach is intended to allow the patient to receive dental care in a more comfortable manner. Oral conscious sedation is not sleep - the patients are able to respond during the procedure – but the patient is very relaxed and feels more comfortable with having the procedure.This sedation often includes beginning the sedative process the night before your procedure and once you arrive at our office.
An example of this approach might include two drugs called Triazolam (Halcion) and Diazepam (Valium). Both of these are in a class of drug called benzodiazepines. The Diazepam works by depressing the central nervous system (brain) causing drowsiness. Anxiety, nervousness, and tension are relieved by the Triazolam.
We ask that you talk to your pharmacist or doctor prior to using these medications to rule out any complications from medication you are already taking or have not disclosed to us. We encourage our patients to discuss oral conscious sedation and their recommended procedure in general and have their questions answered by qualified personnel, including the doctor. Also, as with any procedure, the patient should follow all instructions given to him/her by the doctor, including not self-medicating outside of the doctor's knowledge.
IV Conscious Sedation
Intravenous Conscious Sedation (aka "IV sedation") is when an anti-anxiety drug is administered into the blood system during dental treatment.
Some dental offices use terms such as "sleep dentistry" or "twilight sleep" when talking about IV sedation. This is confusing, because it suggests that IV sedation involves being put to sleep. These terms are more descriptive of "deep sedation".
In reality, you remain conscious during the IV sedation. You will also be able to understand and respond to requests from your doctor, however, you may not remember much (or anything at all) about what went on because of two things:
- IV sedation induces a state of deep relaxation and a feeling of not being bothered by what's going on.
- The drugs used for IV sedation produce either partial or full memory loss (amnesia) for the period of time when the drug first kicks in until it wears off. As a result, time will appear to pass very quickly and you will not recall much of what happened. Many people remember nothing at all. So it may, indeed, appear as if you were "asleep" during the procedure.