IV Sedation

Providing Safe, Anxiety-Free Dentistry

General anesthesia administered by an oral surgeon in a dental setting is a safe and effective option for patients who require complex procedures, have severe dental anxiety, or have difficulty cooperating during treatment. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons receive specialized training in anesthesia, allowing them to provide deep sedation in a controlled environment within a dental office or surgical suite. This approach ensures patient comfort, pain management, and the ability to complete multiple procedures in a single visit.

In addition, general anesthesia is also a safe and effective option for children who require extensive dental treatment, have severe dental anxiety, or cannot tolerate procedures while awake. It is available in several of our offices where it is administered by a medical anesthesiologist (MD) while your general dentist or pediatric dentist completes the dental treatment. General anesthesia allows the child to sleep comfortably throughout the procedure, ensuring a pain-free experience and enabling the dentist to complete necessary treatments efficiently.

How General Anethesia Works

General Anesthesia delivers a sedative directly into your bloodstream, creating near-instant effects. You’ll be asleep within seconds of the beginning of administration. During your procedure, we monitor your vitals carefully to make sure you stay safe and pain-free. We can adjust the medication levels any time we need to.

What to Expect

When you’re under IV sedation, you’re essentially asleep. That means you’ll still have reflexes and be able to breathe on your own. You also won’t remember much of the procedure, if any of it. Since IV sedation leaves you so relaxed, our team can perform longer procedures that might otherwise take multiple visits. This is especially great for anxious patients because it means less time overall in the dental chair!

You’re in Good Hands

Administering general anesthesia requires specialized training, and our Oral Surgeons and contracted Medical Anesthesiologists are committed to ensuring your safety and well-being.

FAQs About IV Sedation

Is IV sedation safe?

We make sure our patients undergoing IV sedation are completely safe the entire time! We go over your medical history to make sure there aren’t any red flags that might cause problems while you’re under, and we carefully control your sedation levels the entire time you’re out.

Will I wake up while under IV sedation?

Since we carefully monitor your vitals the whole time, you will not wake up while under IV sedation. If we have any indication that more sedative is required, we will increase the amount of medication just enough to make sure you stay completely asleep. You’ll only wake up once the procedure is over and we’ve removed the IV.

Will I feel pain while under IV sedation?

The sedative medication keeps you asleep and pain-free during the procedure. Additionally, we use local anesthesia to numb the teeth we’re working on. So when you wake up—with no memory of the procedure—you’ll feel no pain even in your mouth!

If dental anxiety has kept you from the dentist, or if you need to undergo extensive dental treatment to get a healthy smile, call Riccobene Associates Family Dentistry to learn about how IV sedation can help you. Our NC Research Triangle dentists are here to help you achieve your best smile.

Your Comfort Is Our Priority!

Contact us to learn more about IV sedation!