IV Sedation

Sitting In Waiting Room

IV Sedation At a Glance

Cost
From £300 per hour
No. of Appointments
2 (pre-assessment + treatment)
Anaesthesia
Yes
Who is this treatment for
Nervous Patients
Attend with a Companion
Yes

IV sedation helps you feel deeply relaxed during your dental treatment. A sedative is given through a small cannula in your hand or arm, and you stay awake and able to respond throughout. It’s often the answer for patients whose anxiety has kept them away from the dentist for years.

At Marlow Valley Smiles, our sedation dentist is Dr Mehmuna Ayub. She has completed IACSD-accredited sedation training and is a member of the Society for the Advancement of Anaesthesia in Dentistry (SAAD). Sedation is available for adults aged 18 and over, and every patient starts with a free pre-assessment.

Sedation can be used alongside many treatments, including extractions, dental implants and root canal treatment. You’ll need a responsible adult to take you home after your appointment.

What Are the Benefits of IV Sedation?

IV sedation helps to:

  • Ease anxiety so you feel calm in the chair

  • Make longer appointments feel shorter

  • Allow more treatment in one visit where appropriate

  • Reduce your awareness of sounds and sensations

Meet Your IV Sedation Dentist

What Is the IV Sedation Process?

Free Pre-Assessment

You’ll meet Dr Ayub, who will go through your medical history, medications and any worries you have. She’ll check your blood pressure and explain how sedation works, so you can decide if it’s right for you.

Planning Your Appointment

If sedation is suitable, we’ll book your treatment and give you written instructions for before and after. You’ll need a responsible adult to bring you, wait at the practice and take you home.

Sedation Is Given

A small cannula is placed in the back of your hand or arm. The sedative is given slowly until you feel relaxed.

Your Treatment

Local anaesthetic is used to numb the area, and then your treatment is carried out. Dr Ayub and a sedation-trained dental nurse monitor your breathing, heart rate and oxygen levels throughout.

Recovery

You’ll rest at the practice until you’re ready to leave. Your escort will be given aftercare advice before you go.

Going Home

For the rest of the day, you must not drive, drink alcohol, operate machinery or sign important documents. Your escort should stay with you until the next day.

IV Sedation FAQs

Yes. IV sedation is provided in-house by Dr Mehmuna Ayub at our Marlow Bottom practice.

No. IV sedation is not a general anaesthetic. You stay awake and able to respond, but you’ll feel very relaxed and may remember little of the appointment afterwards.

With a general anaesthetic, you’re fully unconscious, and it’s usually carried out in a hospital. With IV sedation, you stay conscious and able to respond, and treatment takes place at the practice. You’ll still be given local anaesthetic to numb the area.

Every patient has a full pre-assessment first, so we can check that sedation is suitable for you. During treatment, Dr Ayub and a sedation-trained dental nurse monitor your breathing, heart rate, and oxygen levels throughout.

You’ll feel a small scratch when the cannula goes in. After that, local anaesthetic numbs the treatment area, just like a normal appointment.

IV sedation is available for adults aged 18 and over. It isn’t right for everyone, which is exactly what we check at your free pre-assessment.

You’ll feel drowsy for several hours afterwards, and the effects can last for the rest of the day. That’s why you need to rest and have an adult with you until the next day.

Yes. A responsible adult must bring you, wait at the practice, take you home and stay with you until the next day. We can’t go ahead without an escort.

Sedation can be used for many treatments, including extractions, implants, root canal treatment and fillings. Dr Ayub will advise you at your pre-assessment.

That’s completely fine. Read about our approach to nervous patients, and we’ll work at your pace.

Why Choose Us for IV Sedation in Marlow?

  • Accredited Training IV sedation by a SAAD member with IACSD-accredited training.

  • Free Pre-Assessment We check sedation is right for you before you commit.

  • Calm, Gentle Care A patient-led team that takes things at your pace.