Comfortable, monitored, and done by the person doing your surgery.

What IV moderate sedation is

Medication is given through a small IV in your arm and adjusted minute by minute during the procedure. You become deeply relaxed and drowsy. Most people remember little or nothing afterward. You keep breathing on your own the whole time and can respond if I speak to you or touch your shoulder.

It is not general anesthesia. There is no breathing tube, no ventilator, and no hospital. The recovery is quicker and gentler, and for most dental surgery it is more than enough.

How you're monitored

From the moment the IV goes in until you're ready to leave, a monitor tracks your heart rhythm, blood pressure, oxygen level, and breathing. A trained assistant watches the monitor with me throughout. Emergency equipment and reversal medications are in the room, and I am certified in advanced cardiovascular life support.

Who can be sedated

Most healthy adults and most adults with well-managed medical conditions, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart conditions that are stable and treated. I completed additional training in sedating higher-risk patients under Texas Rule 110.6, so having a complex medical history doesn't automatically rule you out.

Some situations need extra steps. If you have significant heart or lung disease, sleep apnea, kidney disease, or take medications that affect sedation, I'll ask for a note from your physician before we schedule surgery. A small number of people are safer having their surgery in a hospital setting, and I'll tell you if that's you.

Before your appointment

• Nothing to eat for 8 hours before your appointment, and only clear liquids such as water until 2 hours before. This is for your safety and is not optional.
• Bring a responsible adult who can drive you home and stay with you. You cannot drive, work, or make important decisions for the rest of the day.
• Tell me every medication you take, including weight-loss injections such as semaglutide or tirzepatide. Some medications need to be paused or timed differently before sedation, and I'll give you specific instructions.
• Wear comfortable clothes with sleeves that roll up easily.

Afterward

You'll rest in the office until you're fully alert and your vital signs are stable, then go home with your escort and written instructions. Plan on a quiet rest of the day. Grogginess fades over a few hours, and by the next morning most people feel like themselves.

Common worries

• "What if I don't go under?" Sedation is adjusted to you, not given as a fixed dose. If you're not comfortable, it's changed.
• "What if I stop breathing?" Moderate sedation is chosen precisely because you keep breathing on your own. Your breathing is monitored continuously, and I'm trained and equipped to manage the rare situation where it needs support.
• "I've had a bad experience before." Tell me about it at the consultation. Knowing what went wrong last time changes how I plan this time.