Intravenous Sedation

Many people fear the dental treatment and avoid going to see the dentist. As a result, both dental and general health can suffer. The good news is fear can be overcome by making the phone call and talk to Dr Veronica Cheng at Balgowlah Smile Office.

There are several methods that may be employed to improve your comfort during dental procedures.

• Verbal and Oral Sedation - Our dentists at Balgowlah Smile Office will spend time to explain what your treatment involves. This should help to calm your fears. An oral sedative may also be prescribed for you to take before treatment which will greatly reduce “pre-appointment butterflies” and make treatment more comfortable.
• Happy Gases (Nitrous Oxide Sedation) has been used for years to relax anxious patients. A small “hood” is placed over the nose through which a mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide is inhaled. A feeling of well-being is experienced, and dental procedures are much more comfortable. It is safe to use on children as well.
• Intravenous Sedation is a very efficient and effective way of providing profound anxiety relief and pain control during dental procedures. There are two main groups of patients who benefit from this technique:
• Patients undergoing relatively unpleasant or lengthy procedures such as removal of impacted wisdom teeth or implant placement surgery;
• Patients who fear most forms of dental treatment and who often avoid going to the dentists.

The drugs we use in dental sedation are given intravenously – usually into a vein on the forearm or back of the hand. The injection may cause mild discomfort. These drugs are the same or similar to drugs used in general anaesthesia but given at a slower rate and in smaller doses.

As the name implies, conscious sedation is not general anaesthesia. The aim is to reach a state of calm, relaxation and drowsiness - so that you:

• know very little of what is going on
• do not care about what is going on
• remember very little of what goes on

If this sounds suitable for you, why not give us a ring to make an appointment today at the Smile Office.

Important: We are a certified Dental Board Sedation practice offering Intravenous Sedation on a daily basis unlike other practices that bring in an anesthetist or another dental sedationist on a monthly basis to perform their sedations. So if you enquire elsewhere please ensure, for your security, that it is to a dental board approved practice.