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Discover how IV sedation can transform dental practice, reduce patient anxiety, and increase in-house procedures through insights from Dr. Farai Kambasha's experience.
Curious what drives dentists like you to offer IV sedation? Wondering what the course experience is like—and the impact it can have on a practice? This short Q&A is for you!
Dr. Farai Kambasha & Mercer Sargent
Interview with Dr. Farai Kambasha
ADMA: It’s been a number of years since you completed your original IV sedation training. What do you feel have been some of the biggest impacts of incorporating IV sedation into your practice?
Dr. Kambasha: It has definitely changed a lot. We can now treat many more patients who we would have previously referred out, not because we couldn’t handle the treatment, but because of their anxiety. Having IV sedation means we can keep more patients in the practice. Patients really appreciate having the option, especially if they’re anxious or need extensive work.
ADMA: If you could give yourself a piece of advice before going into the course, what would it have been?
Dr. Kambasha: I think I would have benefited from observing a sedation doctor beforehand and thoroughly reviewing the pre-course materials. Preparing deeply helps set you up for the various parts of the course, especially when you start seeing patients. One thing I really liked about the course was the balance — you’d see patients, then go back to the simulation debrief, then return to patients, and so on. That back-and-forth approach was really valuable.
ADMA: Some courses just throw you into back-to-back patient sessions, and you don’t get a chance to pause and reflect on what went right or wrong.
Dr. Kambasha: Exactly. That’s what I appreciated — the time to reflect. Also, the instructors were excellent.
ADMA: What were some of the key factors that drove you to pursue your IV permit?
Dr. Kambasha: Honestly, the biggest driver was the increase in surgeries I was doing and the patient demand for sedation. Especially with implants or surgeries, many patients just want the option not to remember the procedure. That was the biggest push for me — patients were requesting it, and without it, we had to refer them out. Now, with two other doctors in the practice, we can keep all that work in-house. If a patient wants sedation, we can handle it internally instead of sending them elsewhere, even for relatively simple work.I’ve also seen patients who went to endodontists but refused treatment because they couldn’t be sedated. They end up coming to us because we offer the sedation option, which sometimes even specialists don’t.
ADMA: If you had advice for someone who’s on the fence about getting IV certified, what would you tell them?
Dr. Kambasha: I’d say: do it. You can go through the process and decide afterward whether or not you’ll use it, but it’s always good to have more tools in your toolkit. Even if you do a few cases and decide it’s not for you, you’ll never lose the knowledge or understanding. Personally, I like the control IV provides. If you’re already doing oral sedation.