Intravenous
Sedation

If you’re nervous about going to the dentist, sedation can help. Sedation uses an extremely safe medication to make you feel less anxious and more relaxed. Sedative drugs (medicines) can be given in a number of ways.

There are different levels of sedation and several methods can be used. You may have sedation:

• by breathing in gas through a nosepiece (inhalation)
• by injection into a vein in your hand or arm (intravenous)
• by swallowing a medicine (oral)
• by placing a medicine under your tongue or into the nose (transmucosal)

Here at Essence we use intravenous sedation (IV sedation).

Intravenous sedation is usually given by injection using a single drug called midazolam. This is usually into a vein in the back of your hand or in your arm through a cannula.

You’ll usually remain conscious and able to communicate with the dentist, but will feel extremely relaxed.