Whether you have an oral surgery coming up that’s going to take a long time to complete or you have issues with dental treatments in general, oral surgeons are highly experienced with helping people get comfortable and prepared for their care. In the case of surgery, anesthesia is the norm, however, sedation also plays a role in many cases. If you believe you may need stronger forms of sedation to complete your treatment, you’ll want to learn from an oral surgeon what makes you an ideal candidate for IV sedation ahead of time!
What Oral Surgeons Do First
When you first mention that you’d like to pursue IV sedation in preparation for your oral surgery, the surgeon will first complete a health evaluation and review your current medical history and medication use. Depending on your current health status, IV sedation may be appropriate for you. In other cases, older patients may need to complete a consultation with their primary care physician or other medical specialist before receiving sedation.
Assuming you don’t have any preexisting conditions or current medications that can negatively interfere with IV sedation, you may be a candidate if you need help managing the following:
Anxiety Levels
Those with moderate to severe levels of dental anxiety will find IV sedation to be an appropriate strength to manage their symptoms during their appointment. Not only can it help you stay fully relaxed through the entire treatment, but it’s very unlikely that you’ll have any memory of the experience.
Uncomfortable Dental Work
While local anesthetic prevents any sensations from being felt during actual treatment, some patients can be particularly sensitive, making IV sedation more appealing. Services like gum tissue grafting, facial trauma repair, jaw surgery, or other more complex procedures with a higher risk of discomfort can be made less so with IV sedation.
Gag Reflex
The gag reflex is largely involuntary, but it can still get in the way of treatment if yours is very sensitive. IV sedation not only puts your mind at ease, but your muscles as well. This dramatically decreases the risk of a sensitive gag reflex interfering with your procedure.
Length or Number of Procedures
If your upcoming treatment is expected to take an hour or longer to complete or you have to complete multiple treatments in a relatively short period of time, IV sedation can make it much easier to streamline your treatments, whether you have an important trip coming up or you simply want to get all your treatments done and out of the way.
The only way to know for sure if IV sedation is right for you is to speak with an oral surgeon directly. Get in touch with one today to learn your eligibility!
About Texas Dental Surgery
The oral surgeons of Texas Dental Surgery remain fully committed to making your next appointment as comfortable as possible. Dr. Walker, Dr. Stewart, and Dr. Arango are trained in multiple forms of sedation. For example, their office provides IV sedation as well as nitrous oxide. To find out which sedative is right for you or schedule a visit, you can contact them through their website.