Your comfort is a high priority for us.  For more involved procedures, when nitrous oxide and our other measures aren't quite adequate to keep you relaxed and comfortable, conscious sedation can be a pleasant solution.  Dr. Snodgrass has special certification to provide conscious sedation for implant procedures, wisdom teeth removal, and other dental procedures.  Although not a requirement by law, we always have a Registered Nurse present for your peace of mind.  Both the R.N. and Dr. Snodgrass have A.C.L.S. (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) training and current certification, for your added safety.  The Registered Nurse is solely dedicated to constantly monitoring your heart rate and rhythm, the level of oxygen in your blood, your respiratory rate, your blood pressure, and your comfort level.  She is not involved in the dental procedure in any way.

Conscious Sedation keeps you comfortable and feeling sleepy, yet able to respond when appropriate.  Comments from patients who have experienced it, tell us they remember very little about their dental experience, they felt they slept most of the time, they were surprised when it was over because they thought the doctor was just getting started, they were satisfied with the experience, and they were relieved there was such an "easy way to get the work done". 

Dr. Snodgrass is an advocate of I.V. conscious sedation because "it is always easier to work on a comfortable patient, patients tend to be quite complimentary of the overall experience afterward, and it is simply safer".  Since an I.V. is used, when medication is given the patient gets the effect almost immediately.  This is an advantage over oral medication because the dosage is accurate for the situation at any point during the procedure.  Oral medication is more of an "educated guess" since individuals differ in many ways.  It varies from person to person as to how much is needed to maintain comfort, without being too much. "No one wants to be in the middle of a surgical procedure, finding out not enough or too much oral medication was given."  Medication also "wears off", sometimes before the work is completed and more oral medication is not possible at that point.  These are some of the reasons we believe I.V. (intravenous) conscious sedation is the most effective and safest we can offer our patients for dental procedures.  

As with everything else at Distinctive Dental Solutions, our aim is to "do things right the first time".  Your comfort and safety are of upmost importance while you are in our care.  We are prepared for any situation that might arise.

If you would like to discuss having your dental work done using conscious sedation, please call 889-0700 for a consultation appointment.