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IV Sedation

IV Sedation

Your reliable option for pain-free, anxiety-free dentistry

Not all sedation dentistry is equal, and consequently not all IV sedation dentistry is equal. Many dentists advertise themselves as “sedation dentists” but are not providing true sedation. In many cases, they are simply using oral sedatives (pills) in a way they weren’t intended to be used.

Story City Dental provides true sedation dentistry utilizing IV sedation for any needed dental care. The same IV sedation you would find in an oral surgeon’s office.  IV deep sedation far surpasses the level of comfort and safety that any other type of office-based sedation provides.

Overcome dental anxiety, inability to get numb or a strong gag reflex

IV Sedation:
Comfortable, pain-free dental care

We have seen countless patients neglect their dental health out of fear of the dentist. Previous bad experiences, like not getting numb or a strong gag reflex, have caused a severe dental phobia that prevents them from seeking the care they need. Anxious patients often come to us when neglect of a simple dental problem has gotten out of hand, worsening to a pain level that prevents them from functioning normally on a daily basis.

There’s no reason to let dental anxiety prevent you from getting the care you deserve —consider IV sedation for stress-free dental appointments!

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL ANXIETY

SAFER THAN RIDING IN A CAR

A unique type of IV sedation

We have been providing IV deep sedation/general anesthesia in our office since 2017.  We are the only office in the state that employs a full time CRNA simply because our team sees the most patients of any IV sedation dentistry office in the State of Iowa and were the first office to be allowed to use a medical provider to offer our patients this level of sedation.  IV sedation at our office is provided by a certified registered nurse anesthetist to ensure each patient sleeps through the procedures we offer without worrying about waking up during the procedure.  This ensures relief to patients who harbor anxieties about going to the dentist. Because the dentist and the CRNA fill two completely different roles, we are able to provide a deeper level of IV sedation close to unconsciousness, thus allowing our dentist to focus entirely on efficient, quality dental work.  Every patient experiences a blissful, anxiety-free visit with IV sedation — and finds more confidence to keep returning to the dentist for optimal dental health.

IV Sedation considerations

Am I a good candidate?

If you’ve been avoiding the dentist out of fear, anxiety, an inability to get numb or a strong gag reflex, and you’re interested in sleeping through your appointment to get the dental care you need, then yes! IV sedation can help you overcome these issues.

Many of our patients already have a treatment plan from another office when they request an appointment, and almost all our special needs patients have an exam completed while they are asleep with some if not all work completed in that appointment.  Because we are able to complete nearly any type of treatment while you are under IV deep sedation, an in-person pre-op consultation in many cases is not required.  Our pre-op paperwork (health history, informed consents, etc…) can be completed online prior to scheduling.  In the event that you have a more complex health history or we have questions about your health, then we would require an in person pre-op visit or notes from your doctor.  There are very few things that would prevent you from having dental work completed, however there are health issues that could prevent you from IV deep sedation.  Determination of your ability to safely have IV deep sedation is almost always determined by our CRNA due to his 20+ years of anesthesia experience.

*Patients who are not good candidates for IV sedation include those with documented sleep apnea, COPD, uncontrolled diabetes, uncontrolled blood pressure, or other conditions that could put the patient at risk for adverse reactions to IV sedation.

Go to sleep and wake up

You won’t remember your appointment

Patients describe IV sedation dentistry at our office as a “go to sleep and wake up when it’s done” option. Eliminate your anxiety by experiencing no pain or memory of the appointment.

Day of your Appointment

What to Expect

1

The day of the procedure, you will be connected to a monitor for heart rhythm, heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation, as well as breathing and CO2 output.

2

An IV line is then started in either your hand or arm. All drugs used for the sedation are administered through a port in the IV line. If you are having any teeth removed, 20mL of blood will be draw from IV for PRF.

3

After you fall into a deep sleep bordering on unconciousness, your mouth will then be numbed with a local anesthetic for the planned procedure.

4

During the procedure, your airway will be protected with a ZYRIS, placed in the back of your mouth that provides a comfortable material barrier that continuously suctions, preventing you from inhaling or swallowing anything while you’re asleep. Note: this is not an intubation procedure and nothing is placed in the throat, it is removed before you wake up.

5

Once your procedure is complete, you’ll wake up within two to ten minutes.

6

Once you are awake and ready to leave, you must be driven home by someone you know — the amnesic effects of the drugs generally only last for the duration of the procedure and a small amount of time after.

All patients we talk to post-operatively tell us they remember nothing of the procedure, making the dental visit very relaxing. Separation of the anesthesia and dentistry jobs, use of a Zyris, and our vast experience working as a Team provides us with the widest possible safety margin for sedation dentistry.

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