Intravenous Sedation (“Twilight Sedation”)

For more complex procedures you have the option of Intravenous Sedation (IV sedation), also referred to as Dental Intravenous Anesthesia, or “Twilight Sedation,” to give you a more comfortable and relaxed experience. IV sedation calms your body and keeps you at ease so you can complete your treatment pain-free and not have to remember the uncomfortable details of the dental procedure. It also helps to alleviate any anxiety you may be feeling, and even if you are not completely asleep, you will be relaxed while drifting in and out of sleep—also known as twilight sleep. If you choose to do so, our expert Dr Barter will administer your anaesthesia. You can feel good knowing Dr Barter is not only able to monitor your well-being in the dental chair but you will also save the expense of carrying out this treatment in an operating room or same-day surgical facility.

How is the IV Sedation Administered?

IV sedation is a common and trusted practice where a thin needle is inserted into a vein in your arm or hand and attached to an intravenous tube that drips medication into your system. It’s extremely safe and Dr. Barter is a pro! Sometimes, a patient’s vein is not able to endure the IV for the full procedure, in which case we would remove the needle and administer medicine instead. In both cases, the patient will achieve the same level of conscious sedation—either slipping into a full restful sleep or experiencing twilight sleep.

There are some medical conditions or drugs that may counteract the IV sedation and may need a lighter sedation that keeps the patient awake, yet comfortable, for the entire procedure. Because an IV is dripping medication at a calculated rate, if any issue or side effect appears, medication can be administered to reverse the problem. Again, Dr Barter is a seasoned professional and will be carefully administering and monitoring all sedations in the safety and comfort of our office.

We highly recommend IV sedation for the elderly, disabled or simply the fearful!

Sedation Dentistry for the Elderly

Preventing periodontal disease, especially in your elder years, can help achieve a long-lasting sense of health and wellbeing. Maintaining healthy teeth and gums allows us to enjoy food, speak with ease, feel confident and help facilitate digestion. Our team cares deeply about the comfort and dental care of our elderly patients. We strive to make the process easy and affordable for this very special demographic.

Elderly may avoid routine appointments for a variety of reasons including difficulty in transporting, fixed incomes, other pressing medical concerns or anxiety about treatment. Often the state of their oral health has become unmanageable and they are too ashamed or afraid to seek help. IV sedation can be extremely beneficial. Dr Barter is able to treat all these conditions while the patient feels safe, calm and relatively unaware until they “awake” to an improved state of oral health.

Sedation Dentistry for the Disabled

Patients with disabilities have the challenge of finding a dental team who is skilled in serving their very special needs. Our team at Higson Dental are proud to have expertise, state-of-the-art-equipment and compassion to properly care for our disabled patients. It’s very common for these clients to have a disability that makes it difficult to brush or floss; they may also suffer a severe gag reflex or dry mouth as a result of medication. IV sedation is helpful in these situations, to put the patient completely at ease. Not only is Dr Barter skilled and experienced in administering anesthesia for special-needs patients but he can help manage the fear of overwhelming oral health issues in just one visit.

Sedation Dentistry for the Fearful

It’s real, and if you suffer from dental phobia you are not alone. Thousands of people have an overwhelming fear of the dentist that can cause anxiety and panic to the point where you just stop going. Whatever the reason, be it past dental trauma, the sound of drills, fear of needles or just the idea alone, we get it! And we are here to help.

Higson Dental Group is committed to understanding the very real nature of your fears. We’ll take care of you every step of the way with compassion and attention. We also highly recommend IV sedation so you can be at ease and learn a whole new experience of dentistry. Dr Barter will ensure that you “wake up” with the results you desire.

Please Note:  As Dr Barter’s practice is limited to surgical procedures, and he is the only dentist at Higson Dental Group licenced to provide IV sedation, not all treatment is available under IV sedation in our practice.  Call our team today to find out if your treatment is eligible for IV sedation at Higson Dental Group.