Intravenous sedation (IV)

Intravenous sedation (IV)  is usually done using a single drug called Midazolam. A dose of the drug is chosen for the patient individually and given by injection into a vein in the back of the hand or in the arm. During a dental procedure, the dentist will introduce a thin needle into a venous access. The needle is then connected to an intravenous tube that delivers the sedative directly into the bloodstream.

IV sedation in dentistry allows a way to provide dental care for many patients, who otherwise would not be able to receive necessary treatment. According to the American Dental Association, an estimated 22%  of American adults avoid dental care completely due to acute anxiety, fear and apprehension, when it comes to dental treatment.  

IV sedation is also required for patients who have medical conditions that make it necessary to reduce the level of stress during dental treatment.

IV sedation is a method of intravenously administering a sedative so that a patient can receive dental treatment safely and comfortably. It is a patient management method that reduces or eliminates fear and anxiety during treatment.

Dentists who carry out sedation routinely should have adequate skills and techniques for placing IV cannula; However, even the most-trained dentists may struggle sometimes with finding a clear venous access, especially when the patient has certain medical conditions that make his/her veins hard to find. 

Repetitive unsuccessful pricks will cause more stress and pain to the patient who is undergoing an IV sedation.

Venipuncture procedures are considered as ‘art and science’ by many medical professionals. Yet this combination does not seem to be working in most cases. For this reason, a vein finder that uses an infrared light to map out the patients’ veins offers ultimate guidance to doctors and turn the whole venipuncture procedure into ‘pure science’ . For instance, the SIFVEIN-5.2 has a blood analysis system with an infrared wavelength of 850 nm and a vein visibility depth of 12 mm maximum and represents the perfect vein illuminator device for most dentists.  

Disclaimer: Although the information we provide is used by different doctors and medical staff to perform their procedures and clinical applications, the information contained in this article is for consideration only. SIFVEINFINDER is not responsible neither for the misuse of the device nor for the wrong or random generalizability of the device in all clinical applications or procedures mentioned in our articles. Users must have the proper training and skills to perform the procedure with each vein finder device.

The products mentioned in this article are only for sale to medical staff (doctors, nurses, certified practitioners, etc.) or to private users assisted by or under the supervision of a medical professional.