IV Conscious Sedation

Intravenous sedation can make people feel as if they are actually asleep, much like oral sedation. Intravenous (IV) sedation – sedatives delivered via injection into the blood vessels of the hand or arm – is predominantly used to sedate a dental patient.

IV sedation is both safe and effective when administered by a trained professional. The difference between oral and intravenous sedation is the route of administration. Administered via injection, intravenous sedation has an almost immediate effect and is best used for complicated dental procedures in patients with anxiety.

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 starts acting 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.