Does the thought of going to a dentist make you extremely nervous? If it happens with you then you are not alone! Many people are so overanxious about going to the dentist that they prefer not to have any treatment.

For people who avoid dentists, oral sedation may take away some of their nervousness. Oral sedation can be used for complex dental procedures to a simple tooth cleaning.

Oral sedation, which is also called pill sedation, is used by dentists to calm patients down during painful dental procedures. Unlike intravenous (IV) sedation and nitrous oxide sedation, in oral sedation patients are given a pill or tablet few hours before the operation.  The oral sedative comes in Benzodiazepine group of medicine (i.e. Xanax, Valium, Halcion), which decreases brain activity that control fear and unease. After taking the pill, patients feel calm and relaxed that allow dentist to do the operation effectively and successfully. Here are some of the benefits of oral sedation:

• Ease of supervision– Oral sedation is a very simple and easy process. Your dentist will ask you to take a pill so that you remain calm and relaxed during the procedure. Among three different types of sedation, oral sedationis the easiest.

• No use of needles:Many patients especially children are afraid of needles, used during administering IV sedation.  But with oral sedation, the sedative is taken orally few hours before the appointment.

• Safe– Oral sedation is very safe and effective way of relieving the anxiety and fear associated with dental operations. It is considered safer than general anesthesia and IV sedation, with low occurrence and harshness of adverse reactions. Also, Oral sedation at Ohio clinics is FDA approved.

• Time-saving– Intake of pill makes the patients so calm and relaxed that they feel as if they were sleeping all through the duration of the treatment. With oral sedation, patients feel that time seems to pass very quickly.