For men and women terrified of facing a cleaning or a cavity it has been a dream come true. A growing number of dentists have begun using a technique called sedation dentistry in which they subdue and sedate their patients with powerful sedatives or sometimes a small amount of nitrous oxide. This allows the patient to remain calm and immobile while the doctor does his work. This procedure is incredibly popular across the country but it has lead to a growing concern over its misuse by those untrained or under qualified to be administering the drugs.

Often called twilight sedation or sleep dentistry dentists give their patients a cocktail of both sedative and pain relieving medications. This puts them in a slightly conscious dreamlike state and allows patients with serious phobias to have longer and more complicated procedures without fear and without having to be put under general anesthetic. This cocktail is meant to be administered intravenously but there are not a lot of dentists qualified for IV work. This leads to doctors combining the medicines and administering them either orally or nasally. The danger in this is that in case of an overdose or an adverse reaction the training is not there to address the problem. Additionally, because these practices are not prepared to be properly administering these drugs they also don't have the equipment to monitor the pertinent vital signs and be aware of possible complications.

The problem right now is there is almost no oversight and no regulation of who can say they provide this type of procedure. As a result there are a lot of dentists who are even aware that that there are serious dangers to be aware of. The solution is going to have to be to have dentists working with trained nurse anesthetists or other doctors who are trained in this type of conscious sedation. Otherwise there will continue to be more and more complications as this type of dentistry gains popularity.

As a patient there are ways of protecting oneself against unqualified work. First off determine if the care provider you are receiving treatment from is certified to be performing sedation dentistry. Also, be sure that he or she has the proper equipment to monitor their patients while they undergo treatment. Also it is important to make sure that they use a level of sedation that the patient feels comfortable with. Some people are put ill at ease by being sedated. This will counterproductive to the ends of performing medical work in the mouth if the patient does not feel comfortable. If this is the case it may be necessary to simply manage the stress of undergoing a procedure or else consider a different form of medication. It is often possible for the doctor to provide a milder relaxant that will calm nerves without causing loss of awareness.