Our practice offers our patients the option of Intravenous (IV) Moderate Sedation for their dental treatment.  Dr. Michael Cwiklinski is the only practitioner at our office who performs IV sedation.

Intravenous Sedation or “IV sedation” helps you to be comfortable and calm when undergoing dental procedures. It will enable you to tolerate as well as not remember those procedures. IV sedation will help alleviate the anxiety associated with your treatment. You will be comfortable, calm and relaxed, drifting in and out of sleep.

If you choose the option of intravenous sedation, your IV sedation/anesthesia is administered and monitored by Dr. Cwiklinski and staff. IV sedation is available in our Portland office only.

How is IV Sedation Administered?

A thin catheter will be introduced into a vein in your arm or hand. This will then be attached to an intravenous tube through which medication will be given to help you relax and feel comfortable. Many patients will slip in and out of sleep during the sedation. Some patients with medical conditions and/or on specific drug regimens may only be lightly sedated for safety and may not sleep at all.  Regardless, the sedative medications used have an amnesia effect.  Patients often remember nothing of the procedure from the moment the medication is administered.  With IV sedation, a constant “drip” is maintained via the intravenous tube. At any time an antidote can be administered to reverse the effects of the medications if necessary.    

Patients who undergo IV moderate sedation will need a driver to and from the appointment.  The escort will need to stay in the waiting room for the duration of the appointment.  Although patients will be coming out of the sedation by the time the procedure is finished, there will be several hours of altered consciousness afterwards and the person will be in no condition to drive.  We recommend the escort stay with the patient for several hours at their home after the appointment.