Sedation

Some children & adults become anxious in the dental office and can't relax or sit still long enough for the dentist to treat them. For these children & adults, your dentist may suggest forms of medication that allow the patient to relax and/or become sleepy. This is called conscious sedation, since the patient is still responsive to conversation or stimulation and all his or her protective reflexes are working. It may involve inhaling a gas or an oral medication.