IV Sedation with Dr. McGaw

Sedation Methods- IV OR General Anesthesiaivdentist - Little logo

IV SEDATION

The more relaxed a patient is during their dental visit, the more comfortable and successful their dental experience will be. Until recently, doctors have been able to do little to relax patients who suffer anxiety at just the thought of a visit to the dentist. Intravenous sedation is the answer for many patients.

Dr. McGaw is registered with the College of Dental Surgeons of British Columbia to administer relaxant drugs intravenously to a patient of record. Using professional medical equipment, Dr. McGaw and his Registered Nurse continuously monitor your blood pressure, plus, oxygen saturation and respiratory rate to ensure you’re completely comfortable and reacting normally throughout your procedure.

While sedated, patients are able to respond to verbal commands but they are so relaxed that they do not experience any pain, discomfort or anxiety. In fact,patients usually report not remembering much of the procedure and actually believe they were asleep throughout their appointment.

For more information on IV Sedation, visit our FAQ page

GENERAL ANESTHESIA

Driftwood Dental received accreditation in April, 2014 to provide General Anesthesia (GA) at our clinic.

This method of dental sedation refers to the use of anesthetic to render the patient unconscious. Unlike other sedation methods, the patient will be completely unaware of his or her surroundings, making the use of local anesthetic unnecessary. Please contact us for more information about GA appointments.

Although referrals are not required, we welcome referrals from other dentist whose patients may have special needs, experience severe gag reflex, extreme anxiety at certain procedures or patients in need of extensive dental work that may be completed in a single appointment. We always refer patients back to their regular dentist.

Other Sedation Options Available

Inhalation Sedation

In one form of conscious inhalation sedation, nitrous oxide gas (also known as laughing gas) is used to induce a state of relaxation. A local anesthetic will be administered in combination with nitrous oxide sedation to eliminate pain.

Oral Sedation

Oral sedative medications such as midazolam can be given to a patient the night before a dentistry procedure or 30 minutes to an hour before the dental appointment, depending on the severity of the anxiety. Oral sedatives do not provide pain relief, so an injection of local anesthetic will also be administered.