IV sedation for oral surgery

IV sedation is achieved by administering medicine through a small vein so that you stay asleep during surgery. After IV sedation is achieved, local anesthetic will be used to numb the area where we will do surgery. This ensures that you will stay comfortable throughout the entire process and after waking up from the sedation.

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Overview

We pick the lightest option that keeps you safe and still. Local anesthetic is still used even when you are sedated, so the site stays comfortable as you wake.

Comfort options, from lightest to deepest

Local anesthesia: numbs only the surgical site; you stay fully awake
IV sedation (most surgical visits): medicine through an IV so you stay asleep
General anesthesia: fully unconscious, breathing tube needed. Typically done in the hospital.

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons have rigorous anesthesia training during residency. Dr. Curtis completed that training at the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children's Hospital.

Who it is for

IV sedation is common with wisdom teeth, implants, full-arch surgery, and difficult extractions. Your full medical history and medication list will be reviewed and will determine the proper anesthetic plan.

What to expect

You will fast for 8 hours before surgery, but a small cup of water is okay. After you check in, we place monitors (oxygen, heart rhythm, blood pressure) and start a small IV, which is used to administer medicine.

When surgery ends, you recover in the chair until you can sit, drink a little, and walk with help. Your escort gets the aftercare instructions. Someone should stay with you the rest of the day.

A longer safety explainer is at IV sedation safety.

Recovery

Grogginess, a dry mouth, and a fuzzy memory of the morning are expected. Do not drive, drink alcohol, or sign important papers that day. The surgical recovery — swelling, diet, gauze — matches the procedure you had.

Call the office if you have trouble breathing, chest pain, prolonged vomiting, or if you cannot be roused in a normal way after you get home. Those events are uncommon. They are why an escort is not optional.

What patients have said

Two comments from the practice record, shown with first name and last initial.

“Let's face it, no one wants to undergo oral surgery, but if you find yourself in that situation, these are the people you want by your side.”

— Marcel M.

“By far the most friendly attentive medical facility I have ever experienced.”

— Rick F.

Questions patients ask

Will I be completely unconscious?

IV sedation in the office is usually moderate to deep sedation, not a hospital general anesthetic. We will tell you what to expect for your specific visit.

Is IV sedation the same as general anesthesia?

No. General anesthesia: fully unconscious, breathing tube needed. Typically done in the hospital.

Is office sedation safe?

For carefully selected patients, with monitoring and an OMS-trained surgeon, it is a routine part of oral surgery. It is not risk-free. We will discuss your specific situation at consult. See IV sedation safety.

Can I get sedation for a consult?

No. Consults are conversations. Sedation is reserved for the surgical visit after fasting and planning.