Intravenous Moderate Sedation as an Adjunct for Periodontal Surgery: A Retrospective Analysis of 964 Cases

Introduction: Numerous articles have documented the safety of intravenous moderate sedation when used as an adjunct for dental procedures. These articles have traditionally focused on surgical procedures and demonstrate significant differences in duration for periodontal versus oral surgery cases. Periodontal procedures typically last longer than oral surgery procedures, and, when using intravenous moderate sedation, these time differences can be critical because longer procedures require additional medication use and place patients in prolonged periods of altered consciousness. Case Series: The goal of this retrospective review is to analyze intravenous moderate sedation records from multiple private practicing periodontists to evaluate a variety of data and how they relate to periodontal procedures. Evaluated data included patient demographics, procedure type, procedure duration, medication dosages, fluid administration, hemodynamic changes, respiratory changes, and complications. Intravenous sedation cases performed during the past 5 years at five private periodontal practices were evaluated. Conclusions: Intravenous moderate sedation using fentanyl and versed is a safe and effective adjunct for periodontal surgical procedures with minimal complications. Predictable changes in hemodynamic and respiratory levels will ensue when using these agents. Finally, practitioners using intravenous moderate sedation should schedule an additional 30 minutes of procedure time to account for preoperative and postoperative patient management.