Our office performs Oral Conscious and Intravenous sedation for maximum comfort.

Oral Conscious Sedation ~ The patient takes a pill before treatment. The patient becomes sleepy, and develops a diminished awareness of sounds and smells. The effects can last for up to four hours. A patient is monitored for his or her individual response. Commonly administered oral sedatives include: Valium, Halcion, Xanax, and Ativan. Advantages of oral conscious sedation include: It is easily administered (no needles), generally has a low incidence of side effects, the patient can breathe independently, and the patient retains the ability to interact with and respond to the dentist. This mode of sedation is gaining popularity as "sedation" or "sleep" dentistry; however, oral medications do not and should not put a patient to sleep. Therefore, patients using this method who want to be to be "asleep" may be more aware of dental treatment than they want to be.

Intravenous Sedation ~ Also known as IV or "conscious sedation." Patients often think they are asleep and have no memory of the procedure but can respond to the dentist when necessary. IV sedation is a safe, precise, and highly effective technique for management of moderate to more severe levels of dental fear. This method may also be used for patients who are not physically or behaviorally able to cooperate with dentistry. Commonly used drugs include Valium, Versed, Fentanyl, Propofol, and Demerol, either alone or in combinations selected by a doctor.

A major benefit of some of these IV drugs is amnesia. The patient will have no memory of most, or even all, of the dental treatment. Another benefit is the comparatively quick recovery time. Most patients relax and have a light meal the evening following treatment. During the procedure, devices will be attached to the patient to monitor breathing, blood pressure and heart rate. Dr. Cho is certified and well experienced in performing IV sedation.