Establishing Safe and Consistent Moderate Intravenous (IV) Sedation Practices in Dental Education: A Protocol‐Based Approach

OBJECTIVE: Moderate IV sedation is increasingly essential in contemporary dental practice, yet significant variability exists in how dental institutions teach, supervise, and regulate its use. This perspective outlines a protocol-based framework designed to improve patient selection, safety, and instructional consistency in an academic setting. APPROACH: A four-phase development process-regulatory review, institutional assessment, comprehensive preoperative evaluation, and educational integration-was used to create a standardized system for moderate IV sedation. The framework incorporates eligibility thresholds, a structured preoperative evaluation, faculty calibration requirements, and continuous quality improvement mechanisms. OUTCOMES: Implementation of this framework clarified patient-selection parameters, reduced variability among supervising faculty, and improved alignment between regulatory expectations and daily clinical education. Integration into didactic instruction, simulation, and competency assessments strengthened resident preparedness and enhanced institutional oversight. CONCLUSION: A protocol-based approach offers a scalable educational model that promotes patient safety, advances competency-based training, and reduces institutional variability. Dental programs may adopt similar frameworks to ensure safe and consistent moderate sedation practices.