IV Sedation – Bergenfield, NY

What is IV Sedation?

IV sedation is when our board-certified anesthesiologist, Dr. Mendia, provides anti-anxiety medication directly into your bloodstream for maximized effects. Even though you won’t remember a thing during your treatment, you’ll still remain awake and be able to respond to your dentist in Bergenfield during your appointment. Because the effects may take awhile to wear off and the sedation is so powerful, it’s important to have a trusted friend or family member drop you off and pick you up from your appointment.

How Does IV Sedation Work?

We will administer the anti-anxiety medication through a tube directly into your bloodstream before we begin the procedure. The IV will stay on during your entire procedure to ensure there’s not a moment that goes by where you experience any amount of discomfort. As you’re under sedation, we’ll continue to monitor your pulse and oxygen levels to make sure that you’re safe and healthy. Before and after your treatment, we’ll also check your blood pressure.

Who is a Good Candidate for IV Sedation?

Typically, we recommend IV sedation for patients who experience some of the following issues that make their dental visits uncomfortable or traumatic:

• You find dental work to typically be painful.
• The thought of visiting the dentist makes you extremely anxious.
• You have a strong gag reflex.
• You need a long procedure and have difficulty comfortably sitting in the treatment chair.
• Other forms of sedation don’t work well on you.

Sedation Dentistry for All Patients

Our goal is to allow a necessary procedure to be completed in an office setting, safely and comfortably, irrespective of the reason for sedation. 

Many adults receive sedation in the dental office due to complex treatment, convenience, medical history concerns, or they are simply phobic. Regardless of the reason, we are here to help. 

Medications are administered through an IV.  The monitoring equipment includes NIBP (non-invasive blood pressure), pulse oximeter (oxygen saturation of blood), EKG (heart rate and rhythm), respiratory rate, temperature, and capnography. The anesthesiologist will continuously monitor the patient’s vital signs during the dental procedure and through recovery. Emergency medical equipment is equivalent to that carried by the E.M.S.

(Emergency Medical Services) is provided during every sedation procedure.  The Anesthesiologist stays with the patient until he or she is able to leave. 

Sedation Dentistry for Pediatric Patients

Children are ideal candidates for in-office sedation.  Does your child fear the dentist or the sound of the drill? IV-Sedation can be a useful adjunct to dental treatment for the fearful or uncooperative child.

A child’s fear of painful dental treatment and multiple local anesthesia injections can result in a lifelong fear of the dentist. IV-Sedation in the office will safely alleviate any fear and anxiety.

Most children require only one appointment with IV Sedation to address all the necessary dental treatment.

Sedation Dentistry for Special Needs Patients

Patients with special needs include a diverse group. Fear of the unknown, lack of familiarity with the office or just an inability to cooperate with the doctor presents a challenge without the use of sedation.

Sedation in the dental office offers patients with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities the ability to receive necessary dental care in a safe and efficient manner.

The anesthesia plan for a special needs patient is just as unique as the patient.  Often, a pre-medication technique is used to help the patient into the dental chair to start the IV.  The induction will also vary on the patient’s medical or behavioral condition. Similarly, the recovery may also vary.

For these reasons, our Dentist Anesthesiologists, are familiar with working with such a unique population to help facilitate a better dental experience.

What to expect Before Your Appointment?

Pre-Operative Evaluations: Before your scheduled appointment you will complete a medical questionnaire regarding patient medical history, current medications, surgical and anesthesia history, allergies, and additional health questions that may have an impact on your anesthetic care.

On the day of your appointment, your  Anesthesiologist will conduct an airway assessment and physical exam followed by a thorough pre-anesthetic assessment.

What to Expect During Your Appointment?

State-of-the-Art Monitoring: During the procedure, the patient will be continuously monitored using state-of-the-art monitoring equipment in accordance with the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) guidelines.  The monitoring equipment includes NIBP (non-invasive blood pressure), pulse oximeter (oxygen saturation of blood), EKG (heart rate and rhythm), respiratory rate, temperature, and capnography.

The anesthesiologist will continuously monitor the patient’s vital signs during the dental procedure and through recovery. Emergency medical equipment equivalent to that carried by the EMS (Emergency Medical Services) is provided during every sedation procedure.

Individualized Anesthetic Plan: Each patient will receive an individual, customized anesthetic plan based on the information recorded by the anesthesiologist during his focused physical exam and patient medical history.

According to the anesthetic plan, medications will be selected for safety and comfort, allowing the sedation to be tailored to the needs of each individual patient.

What to Expect After Your Procedure?

After undergoing a treatment involving IV sedation, patients typically feel slightly drowsy for a few hours following the appointment. It’s important to be prepared for your treatment by having a trusted friend or family member pick you up from our dental office. Your dentist in Bergenfield will provide you with a list of aftercare instructions before you leave. Typically, we recommend that patients avoid strenuous activity, taking certain medications, drinking alcohol, and operating any vehicle or machinery until they’ve fully recovered from the effects. If you have any questions after your visit, don’t hesitate to contact our office. Our team will be more than happy to address any of your concerns.