Sedation Dentistry

Sedation Dentistry in Mitchellville, MD

As daunting as visiting your dentist can be, IV sedation offers an easy solution for reducing dental anxiety. No longer are needles, procedures or simply going in general cause discomfort and fear - meaning an increased risk for tooth loss, oral cancer or dental infections!


With our IV sedation dentistry services, you can leave behind dental anxiety at the doorway. IV sedation helps you relax and feel at peace, eliminating any fears. Plus, Dr. Dexter & Dr. Cheryl and their entire staff offer compassionate care that ensures you experience only the most relaxing dental care experience here in Mitchellville, MD.


If you're anxious about going to the dentist, don't fret. Lake Arbor dental technicians are dedicated to making you as relaxed and comfortable as possible during your appointment. Give us a call or make an online booking right now; or continue reading to gain more insight into IV sedation dentistry's advantages - maybe it could even be right for you!

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What Is IV Sedation Dentistry?

IV Sedation Dentistry, commonly referred to as Sleep Dentistry, is a form of conscious sedation designed to help you relax and feel at ease during a dental appointment. IV sedation doesn't put you out completely, but does decrease how aware of your surroundings you are during the experience.


This allows the dentist to work more quickly on your mouth while leaving you aware enough to respond to questions or follow directions from them. Unlike other forms of sedation like nitrous oxide or pills, dentists administer intravenously (IV). This ensures it enters through your vein.

Levels of Sedation

There are various levels of sedation you could experience, depending on a variety of factors - the type of procedure and its impact on how your body responds to anesthesia; your age, medical condition and health habits; all may influence what kind of anesthetic will be administered to you.


Levels of Sedation Include:


  • Minimal Sedation - At this level of sedation, relaxation should be easy; yet you are fully conscious and responsive to verbal commands or directions.
  • Moderate Sedation - At this level of sedation, patients remain conscious, but may experience feelings of drowsiness and even sleep during the procedure. Patients typically remain responsive to verbal commands but may need gentle encouragement from their dentist to stay awake during this procedure.
  • Deep Sedation - You won't be completely unconscious during this procedure, yet most likely sleep through most or all of it. If necessary, awakening can occur, though most or all of it may remain forgotten by you upon awakening.
  • General Anesthesia - Here, you become totally unaware of both surroundings or stimulation during treatment and may remember none or very little of what took place during surgery.

How Does IV Sedation Work?

Sleep dentistry offers an effective solution to dental anxiety, but you may still have questions about its process. Here's an overview of what to expect during a sleep dentistry appointment.

Before The Procedure

Before your appointment, it is strongly suggested that:


  • Wear loose, non-restrictive clothing
  • Avoid eating or drinking anything 8 hours before the procedure
  • Don’t smoke for at least 12 hours before the procedure
  • Don’t wear contact lenses
  • Don’t take any medications unless cleared by your dentist
  • Inform your dentist of any changes in your medical history 


These steps ensure the procedure runs smoothly, minimizing risks for complications and any possible delays in its completion.

Initial Sedation and Adjustments

Your dentist will begin the procedure by administering sedation. A thin needle will be used to inject intravenous (IV) fluid directly into your arm or hand vein so the sedative can enter your bloodstream using an intravenous tube. They'll also administer local anesthetic via IV in order to numb any discomfort during the procedure.


After only moments, medications will quickly induce relaxation and an altered state. Depending on your patient, an IV may remain for the entire procedure or be removed once drugs have been given; both will achieve similar levels of sedation.


Once under sedation, your dentist will evaluate your physical signs to gauge your sedation level. They may need to increase or reduce it accordingly during the procedure and will adjust it as necessary.

After The Procedure

After your procedure, your dentist will gently wake you from your sedative state. However, you may experience some sort of memory haze - recalling responding to certain commands from the dentist may come and go as you respond with minimal recall of events during or following it all. Furthermore, anesthesia often leaves people drowsy afterwards so it is advisable for someone to accompany and monitor you until full consciousness and awareness have returned.


At this point, it's recommended that you abstain from alcohol consumption, exercising, or making important decisions for 24 hours after your procedure. Also it's advisable to wait until any numbness has completely worn off before eating anything as this increases your risk for biting injuries which could potentially lead to infections in your mouth. Once it has subsided then consuming as tolerated can resume.


After receiving sedation medication, it is advisable to refrain from driving heavy machinery for 24 hours after your procedure. This will give your system enough time to heal properly before driving again.

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The Benefits of IV Sedation

IV sedation offers several distinct advantages when it comes to helping you remain relaxed and safe during procedures. These benefits include:

  • Deep Relaxation

    IV sedation provides patients with the ultimate level of relaxation. Patients remain semi-conscious but remain responsive to verbal commands or directions from staff members; most don't recall any aspect of the procedure overall, making this an excellent solution for anyone suffering from dental anxiety.

  • Starts Working Quickly

    Another advantage of IV sedation is its rapid onset; oral sedatives may take an hour or longer before becoming effective and must be taken prior to any procedure. IV sedation starts working almost instantly, reaching the brain quickly and inducing deep relaxation - as well as relieving any anxiety or fear the patient might feel while waiting.

  • Easily Adjustable

    Oral sedation does not allow dentists to maintain control over its length or effectiveness once administered; with IV sedation we are in complete charge of how much sedation the patient receives from beginning to end; starting small doses, and gradually increasing until we reach our desired level of sedation.



    Once our patients are relaxed and comfortable, we can stop administering the sedatives. If signs of consciousness arise during a procedure, another dose can be given; not only will this allow our dentists to maintain control throughout, but it'll be easier for the patient to wake up once the procedure has concluded.

  • Quick Recovery

    As soon as your dentist stops giving the sedative, its effects begin to wear off quickly. While you will still require someone to drive you home afterward, your return to normal should happen much more rapidly than without.

  • Better Oral Health

    IV sedation provides such a deep level of relaxation that dentists can perform dental work essential to maintaining better oral health without experiencing anxiety or pain, making multiple procedures possible in just one or two visits.
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