Sedation We are constantly striving to make your experience with us a pleasant one. Dental anxiety is a very common problem in today’s society, and we pride ourselves in offering  the best in  safe and  effective anxiety control services. Our services range from basic sedation such as Nitrous Oxide Analgesia  to a more sophisticated  procedure such as  Intravenous Conscious Sedation . In fact we are one of the few providers in the state of Missouri who offers IV sedation.  Dr. Steuterman is a highly trained and qualified  professional with 35 years of experience, who received his training in the anesthesia program at the Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago. He is also the chairman of the sedation committee  for the Missouri dental board. We offer the following sedation  services for adults: Nitrous Oxide Analgesia – Sit back and relax while we bring back your smile. You will breathe in a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen which will be  administered through a small nose cone mask. Once the procedure is complete, you will breathe  pure oxygen as the Nitrous Oxide leaves your system. Oral Sedation – Upon arriving to our office you will be given oral medication (a pill). You will sit back and relax for 30 – 40 minutes while the sedation takes effect. While we perform your dental care, you will still be able to communicate with Dr. Steuterman. You will be discharged in a wheel chair and sent home with  a responsible adult. You will not be allowed to drive. IV Conscious Sedation - This service  involves the use of  intravenous medication which will be administered  by Dr. Steuterman.  The procedure  will be closely monitored by our staff and Dr. Steuterman using the latest medical technology. During the procedure, you will  be able to respond to doctor's instructions, you will not feel or remember the procedure.  We will discharge you in a wheel chair, you will not be able to drive.  We ask that you are accompanied by a responsible adult when you arrive and that you do not eat or drink after midnight. Please contact us to schedule a personal consultation with Dr. Steuterman to see which sedation technique is right for you. Initial Consultation –will include complete review of your health history . Please be prepared to provide a complete list of medications and the name of your physician (s). The consultation may include an initial dental examination and x-rays.   What does it feel like? Will I be asleep? You remain conscious during IV sedation. You will also be able to understand and respond to requests from your dentist. However, you may not remember much about what went on because of two factors: IV sedation induces a state of deep relaxation. The drugs used for IV sedation can produce either partial or full memory loss (amnesia) for the period of time when the drug given until it wears off. As a result, time will appear to pass very quickly and you will not recall much, or perhaps even nothing at all, of what happened.  Is it still necessary to be numbed with local anesthetic? Will my dentist numb my gums before or after I'm sedated? The drugs which are usually used for IV sedation are not painkillers, but anti-anxiety drugs. While they relax you and may make you forget what happens, you will still need to be numbed.  If you have a phobia of needles, you will very probably be relaxed enough not to care by this stage. Dr. Steuterman will then wait until the local anesthetic has taken effect (i. e. until you're numb) before starting on any procedure. How is IV sedation administered?   "Intravenous" means that the drug is put into a vein. An extremely thin needle is put into a vein close to the surface of the skin in either the arm or the back of your hand. This needle is wrapped up with a soft plastic tube. The needle makes the entry into the vein, then is slid out leaving the soft plastic tube in place. The drugs are put in through that tube. The tube stays in place throughout the procedure. Throughout the procedure, your blood pressure, heart rhythm pulse and oxygen levels are measured using a "pulse oximeter". This gadget clips onto a finger and measures pulse and oxygen saturation.   Is it safe? Are there any contraindications? IV sedation is EXTREMELY safe when carried out under the supervision of a specially-trained dentist.  We encourage each patient to meet with Dr.Steuterman for an in-depth consultation to determine whether he or she would be a good candidate for IV Sedation.  . What are the main advantages of IV sedation? Effective anxiety control, reduces tension and muscle fatigue. IV sedation tends to be the method of choice if you don't want to be aware of the procedure - you "don't want to know". The alternative is oral sedation, which is not as reliably effective as IV sedation. The onset of action is very rapid, and drug dosage and level of sedation can be tailored to meet the individual's needs. This is a huge advantage compared to oral sedation, where the effects can be very unreliable. IV sedation, on the other hand, is both highly effective and highly reliable. The maximum level of sedation which can be reached with IV is deeper than with oral or inhalation sedation. One of the medication used during IV sedation will most likely produce amnesia for the procedure.  The gag reflex cab be eliminated.  People receiving IV sedation rarely experience difficulty with gagging. However, if minimizing a severe gag reflex is the main objective, inhalation sedation is usually tried first.   Can be ideal for those with a phobia of dental injections. Unlike General Anesthesia or Deep Sedation, conscious IV sedation doesn't really introduce any compromises per se in terms of carrying out the actual procedures, because people are conscious and they can cooperate with instructions, and there is no airway tube involved. After IV Sedation: 1.    Have your escort take you home and rest for the remainder of the day. 2.    Have an adult stay with you until you're fully alert. 3.    Don't perform any strenuous or hazardous activities and don't drive a motor vehicle for the rest of the day. 4.    Don't eat a heavy meal immediately. If you're hungry, eat something light, e. g. liquids and toast. 5.    If you experience nausea, lie down for a while or drink a glass of coke. 6.    Don't drink alcohol or take medications for the rest of the day unless you've contacted your dentist first. 7.    Take medications as directed by your dentist. 8.    If you have any unusual problems, call your dentist.