You will be continuously monitored with all the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) recommended standard hospital grade full monitoring along with intravenous fluids as well as 100% oxygen therapy available via nasal prongs during the entire intravenous sedation and dental procedure.
An advanced programmable syringe driver, routinely used in all hospital theatres in Australia, will administer an accurate and continuous infusion of intravenous anaesthetic, sedative and pain relieving medications via a small IV cannula/drip placed in your arm or hand. The intravenous medications work quickly and are very effective and you will drift off into a relaxed, sleepy and pleasant dream-like state and you will be comfortable and unaware of your surroundings and the vast majority usually have no recollection of the procedure.
Local anaesthetic and/or any nerve blocks(for intra-operative and post-operative pain relief) are only administered once intravenous sedation is working so that there is no awareness and no memory of the needles or dental procedure in the vast majority of patients.
The comprehensive continuous patient monitoring performed (which includes end tidal CO2 levels(EtCO2), respiratory rate and pattern, oxygen saturation (SaO2), blood pressure, pulse/heart rate and rhythm, electrocardiogram(ECG) as well as anaesthetic medication levels monitoring) allows the anesthetist to accurately adjust and titrate the intravenous medications to the appropriate level required throughout the dental procedure. Although intravenous sedation is extremely safe, there will still be emergency and resuscitation medications and equipment available in the clinic in accordance with the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists(ANZCA) recommended guidelines.