Conscious Sedation (oral or intravenous)
Light conscious sedation by I.V. administration or Oral administration is a safe technique used to reduce anxiety related to dental treatment. The patient is awake and able to respond to verbal instructions, but is relaxed enough to go through the treatment he/she might otherwise avoid.
Prior to treatment the patient must not eat for 6 hours unless otherwise instructed by the doctor. The doctor will start an I.V. in the patient’s arm or in the back of the hand using a small needle or the patient will be given a small amount of an equivalent medication in an oral form.
In the case of the I.V. administration, the medicine will be added slowly until the desired effect is achieved. In the case of oral administration, it will take 20-30 minutes to achieve the desired effect. The medication used will be Valium or a similar class of sedative.
Once the procedure is completed, the patient must be prepared to wait until the doctor decides it is safe to discharge him/her.
