Oral sedation dentistry is a medical procedure involving the administration of oral sedative drugs, generally to facilitate a dental procedure and reduce patients fear and anxiety related to the experience. Oral sedation is one of the available methods of conscious sedation dentistry, along with inhalation sedation (nitrous oxide) and conscious intravenous sedation.  Drugs which can be used for sedation include diazepam,triazolam, zaleplon, lorazepam, and hydroxyzine. Patients are given these prescription medications to take one hour prior to the procedure, the number of pills administered depends on the tolerance, medical history and age. During the procedure, patient becomes very sleepy, relaxed while lowering the anxiety. Patients are not able to drive or stay alone while under the influence of these medications for the whole day. A dedicated driver and chaperone are necessary to accompany the patient for the day. Slide6

The main advantages of oral sedation versus other sedation methods are:

  • Ease of administration (you only have to take a pill)
  • Effectiveness
  • No needles involved
  • High patient acceptance
  • Amnesic effect
  • Lower cost vs intravenous sedation