Patient safety is our priority during sedation. Throughout your treatment, Dr. Denes uses continuous monitoring to track how your body is responding, so that any change can be identified early and managed promptly. Here is what we monitor and why it matters.
Blood Pressure — Continuous and Beat-to-Beat
Why it matters: Blood pressure can shift during dental treatment under sedation. Sedative medications, local anesthetic, body position, and the procedure itself can all cause it to rise or fall, and those changes can happen quickly. Watching blood pressure continuously means a change can be seen as it develops rather than only at the next scheduled reading.
How it works: Dr. Denes uses a continuous, noninvasive beat-to-beat blood pressure monitor (VitalStream by Caretaker Medical, an FDA-cleared device). A small, comfortable finger sensor measures your blood pressure and related vital signs with every heartbeat, giving an uninterrupted view throughout the procedure — so changes that could occur between the intervals of a standard cuff can be recognized and addressed without delay.
Electrocardiogram (EKG)
Why it matters: Sedation and dental treatment can affect the heart, and an EKG shows the heart’s electrical activity in real time. This allows any irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia) to be recognized as it occurs.
How it works: Small adhesive electrodes are placed on the chest and connected to the monitor, which continuously displays the heart’s rhythm.
Oxygen Saturation (Pulse Oximetry, SpO?)
Why it matters: Sedatives can affect breathing, and the body depends on a steady supply of oxygen. Measuring oxygen saturation continuously means a drop in blood-oxygen level can be detected quickly and corrected.
How it works: A small sensor clips onto a finger or earlobe and continuously measures the oxygen level in your blood, shown as a real-time percentage on the monitor.
Capnography (End-Tidal CO?)
Why it matters: Because some sedative medications can slow or depress breathing, it’s important to monitor breathing directly. Capnography measures the carbon dioxide in each exhaled breath, which is one of the earliest indicators of a change in breathing — often before oxygen levels themselves begin to fall.
How it works: A nasal cannula or sampling line placed near the airway continuously measures exhaled carbon dioxide, displayed as both a number and a waveform on the monitor.
Depth-of-Sedation Monitoring (BIS)
Why it matters: Sedation works best when it’s kept at the level intended for the patient and the procedure — comfortable, but no deeper than necessary. A depth-of-sedation monitor gives an additional, objective data point, alongside ongoing clinical assessment, to help guide medication dosing toward that intended level.
How it works: A sensor placed on the forehead reads brain-wave activity and generates a numerical index that reflects the depth of sedation.
Controlled IV Medication Delivery
Why it matters: Delivering sedative medication at a steady, controlled rate — rather than in large single doses — supports a smooth, gradual adjustment of sedation to the intended level throughout treatment.
How it works: A computerized infusion pump delivers the medication at a set, adjustable rate that can be fine-tuned as the procedure progresses.
Together, these tools allow Dr. Denes to continuously assess your cardiovascular status, breathing, oxygenation, and level of sedation throughout treatment, and to adjust care as needed for your comfort.