IV Sedation for Oral Surgery in Birmingham, AL

At Gonzalez, Carr & Maniscalco, we truly love the work we do—but we understand that the experience can be frightening, even overwhelming, for many of our patients. Too often, we see patients who have put off their oral surgery procedures out of fear until they didn’t have a choice. That’s why we offer a range of anesthetic options, including IV sedation, for patients with dental anxiety.

We want your experience at our Oral Surgery & Implant Center to be as comfortable and stress-free as possible. Before any procedure you have, we will review your options for anesthesia carefully to ensure that you feel safe, at ease, and in control.

As board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeons, Drs. Gonzalez and Maniscalco have both undergone extensive training and passed rigorous exams to qualify them to administer anesthesia.

What to Expect from IV Sedation

All of our procedures here at Gonzalez, Carr & Maniscalco involve a local anesthetic, typically lidocaine, to block nerve signals to the target area. In addition to this numbing procedure, we may also use nitrous oxide (laughing gas) or office IV anesthesia to enhance our patients’ comfort and stress levels.

We offer intravenous sedation to healthy patients who struggle with dental phobia or simply just don't want to know what's going on. You’ll be in a “twilight state,” where you are deeply relaxed. Most patients don’t actually remember the procedure, making IV sedation feel like being “put under” for most. This is very similar to what you may have had for a colonoscopy or other procedures.

If you are planning to have IV sedation, You may not eat or drink anything at all for 6 hours before surgery.

You must come with a responsible adult who will drive you and also stay with you for the remainder of the day.

If you take any blood pressure medicine, you will still take it on the day of surgery with a sip of water.

If you have had a recent cold or illness, please call our office. For airway safety reasons, we cannot sedate you if you have had a recent cough, cold, bronchitis, etc. too recently.

If you have medical problems like heart disease, heart valve issues, history of heart surgery or chest pains, or take blood thinners, we will need to have a consultation prior to your surgery date to assess the safety of anesthesia and discuss with your cardiologist.

Helpful Oral Surgery Links

Surgical Procedures

We offer IV anesthesia for all surgical procedures we perform here at Gonzalez, Carr & Maniscalco, from wisdom tooth extractions to dental implants.

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About Us

Part of putting your mind at ease about your surgical procedure is getting to know the doctors in charge of your care. Meet Drs. Gonzalez and Maniscalco here.

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Patient Forms

Visiting Gonzalez, Carr & Maniscalco for the first time? Save time by completing your new patient paperwork with our secure online portal.

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IV Sedation FAQs

What does IV sedation feel like?

Although IV sedation doesn’t technically put you to sleep, it may very well feel like being asleep to you! Most patients don’t remember anything that they experience during the procedure. But even if you do, you’ll only remember feeling deeply relaxed. You won’t feel any pain, as we also use a local anesthetic to ensure numbness in the area being treated. You’ll be able to understand and respond to your doctor, but you won’t feel bothered or agitated about anything happening to you.

I'm coming to have a tooth out with IV sedation, what will the appointment be like?

Before your procedure, you’ll be asked to avoid eating or drinking anything for 6 hours. Once you arrive, we'll go over any details with you to make sure we are all on the same page and we understand your goals. Afterwards, your surgeon will start an IV into a vein either in the back of your hand or your arm through which the sedation medication will be given. You will also be connected to our monitors to measure your heart rate, heart rhythm, oxygen levels, blood pressure, and even the carbon dioxide that you are exhaling. Your surgeon will monitor you throughout the entire case and for a period after the surgery is completed. The only pain you'll feel is the very brief poke of the IV going in, and then the next thing you know, you'll be finished!

Is IV sedation safe for dental surgery?

When IV anesthesia is administered by a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon, you can rest assured that your safety is in great hands. Drs. Gonzalez and Maniscalco have undergone rigorous training and certification to qualify them to administer anesthesia in our Inverness office. You’ll receive fluids as well as the sedation medication through the IV, and your doctor will be closely monitoring your vital signs the entire time.

If you have any safety concerns, don’t hesitate to talk to us about them! We’re here to answer any questions you may have, and will do everything we can to put your mind at ease.

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