IV Anesthesia and Sedation Dentistry — San Luis Obispo, CA
Sedation and anesthesia, in expert hands
Be comfortable for surgery with IV anesthesia, administered and monitored by the surgeon.
Overview
What IV Anesthesia Is
For a lot of people, the fear around surgery is being awake and aware of it. IV anesthesia takes that off the table: you stay deeply relaxed and comfortable, and most patients remember little to nothing of the procedure afterward. It’s what lets anxious patients get the care they’d otherwise keep putting off.
Here, Dr. Janette administers and monitors your IV anesthesia while the surgical team watches over you throughout. Because he’s the surgeon, your sedation and your surgery are planned together around your health history. At your consultation, he walks you through what to expect, step by step.
Urgent? Call 805-541-5611
Candidacy & Indications
Am I a Candidate for IV Anesthesia?
If anxiety, a strong gag reflex, or the length of a procedure makes oral surgery hard to face, sedation is worth asking about. It’s a common, well-established part of oral surgery.
Some health conditions and medications affect whether sedation is safe for you, which is exactly why we review your full health history first, every time. If sedation isn’t the safe call, we’ll tell you and explore other comfort options. We’ll also walk through the practical side: that you’ll need a driver, and shouldn’t plan to work or make big decisions afterward. The goal is simple: you arrive anxious and leave wondering what you were so worried about.
Dr. Janette’s Approach
Our approach to IV anesthesia
Here, the person doing your surgery is the same person responsible for your sedation. Dr. Adam Janette is a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon and a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, He has been administering anesthesia since completing his residency in 1996, and he maintains his California anesthesia permit, which has to be renewed every six years. He administers and monitors your IV anesthesia in our office while the surgical team watches over you throughout. It’s why patients who describe themselves as terrified of dental work tell us afterward that the hardest part was the worrying.
Monitoring & Safety
Surgeon-led, monitored throughout
Surgeon-administered
Dr. Janette administers and oversees your sedation, rather than handing it to an outside provider.
Why it matters: one trained surgeon is accountable for both your comfort and your procedure.
Monitored throughout
The surgical team monitors you continuously, start to finish.
Why it matters: you’re watched the entire time, not just checked on.
What to Expect
How the IV anesthesia procedure works
Before: the plan and the rules
At your consultation, we review your health history and medications, then talk through your sedation and why it fits. You’ll get clear instructions to follow beforehand: when to stop eating and drinking, which medications to take, and arranging a driver, since you can’t drive yourself home. Tell us plainly how anxious you are, because it changes how we approach your visit. No question is too small here.
During: comfortable and monitored
Once you’re settled, Dr. Janette begins your IV anesthesia and the surgical team monitors you throughout. You’ll be deeply relaxed and most likely won’t remember much of the procedure. Most patients are surprised by how quickly it’s over. One described an hour that “felt like five minutes.”
After: waking up and going home
You’ll rest while the sedation wears off, with us watching until you’re ready to leave. You’ll feel groggy for the rest of the day, so your driver takes you home. No driving, no work, no big decisions until the next day. We send written aftercare instructions home with you and a number to call with any questions.
Case Study
A recent case
Case Study · IV Sedation
The surgery she’d put off for years
[PROOF: one de-identified case — a high-anxiety patient who’d avoided needed surgery → sedation plan → outcome.]
Read the full case study →Recovery & Post-Op
After anesthesia and sedation
- Plan to take it easy for the rest of the day; grogginess, sleepiness, and a little wobbliness are normal as the sedation wears off.
- Have your driver stay with you, and stick to light foods and fluids.
- Skip driving, alcohol, and anything that needs a clear head until the next day.
- Most people feel back to themselves by morning.
- These are general guides. Follow the specific instructions your surgeon gives you.
When to call us
Contact the office for things like trouble breathing, a reaction to medication, persistent vomiting, or grogginess that doesn’t lift as expected. Call the office with any concern. We’d rather you call than wonder.
Cost & Insurance
Cost of IV anesthesia
Sedation is usually billed as part of your procedure, and it’s included in the written estimate from your consultation. Our office checks your coverage in advance and can arrange third-party financing if that helps.
Frequently Asked
Questions patients ask us about IV anesthesia
The area is fully numbed, and with IV anesthesia most patients remember little to nothing. Some people feel as though they were awake the whole time. Dr. Janette’s goal is to keep you safe and comfortable, which sometimes means lighter sedation than you might picture. There can be some soreness afterward, and we send you home with a plan to manage it.
It’s safe when it’s done by trained people who monitor you closely. Dr. Janette administers and monitors your IV anesthesia, with the surgical team watching throughout, and we review your health history first, every time.
IV anesthesia leaves you deeply relaxed and usually with little memory of the procedure, rather than fully unconscious. Dr. Janette will explain exactly what you’ll feel beforehand.
Yes. With IV anesthesia you’ll need a driver and shouldn’t drive, work, or make big decisions until the next day.
This is exactly who sedation is for. Tell us how you’re feeling; patients who call themselves “a big chicken” about dental work are some of the people who do best here once the fear is off the table.
You’ll feel groggy for the rest of the day and back to normal by the next morning for most people.
Patient Experiences
In our patients’ words
“I had IV anesthesia — was awake but felt no pain whatsoever. The hour procedure felt like it was only 5 minutes. Best dental experience I have ever had!”
“I’m a big chicken when it comes to dental work and he is so kind, and comforting.”
Ready to talk through your case?
Request a consultation. CBCT imaging, clinical exam, and a written treatment plan with fee quote at your first visit.