Oral Medications for Sedation

Sacramento, Roseville, Rocklin, Folsom, and Citrus Heights, California

Oral sedation works to calm you nerves and relieve any anxiety you may feel going into your dental appointment. The most common oral sedation technique is the use of anti-anxiety pills like benzodiazepines, which are usually taken the night before an appointment to give you a restful, stress-free slumber.

Different areas of the brain

Different benzodiazepines are formulated to focus on a specific area of your brain. Though all benzodiazepines perform the role of sedative and anti-anxiety, some of these drugs are targeted more at brain areas that control your sleep and alertness; others are designed to conquer your brain areas that control emotions, like fear.

The benzodiazepine options for oral sedation are broken down into two categories: anti-anxiety drugs and sedative hypnotics.

Anti-anxiety drugs

These pills are designed to keep you calm and are best known by brand names such as:

• Valium
• Xanax
• Librium SK-Lygen
• Serax

Benzodiazepines work by binding with receptors in the brain that tone down your response to fear, thus decreasing your anxiety level.

Sedative-hypnotic benzodiazepines

These drugs induce a tranquilizing effect. In higher doses, sedative hypnotics induce a state that resembles physiological sleep known as “hypnosis.”

Some of these common pills include:

• Halcion
• Dalmane
• Hypnovel
• Dormicum
• Versed
• Restoril
• Ativan

Benzodiazepines work by depressing your nervous system. There is often a decline in your blood pressure and breathing (this is supposed to happen, to induce a calming sensation).

The calm and relaxing effect that they instill can also make you feel groggy and generally out of character. Some patients act giddy and often speak nonsense (you probably will not remember this, but hearing the stories afterward can be quite entertaining).

Please keep in mind that oral sedatives should never be mixed with alcohol. You should never take a dose higher than what sedation dentist, Dr. Miller, prescribes. It is possible for you to overdose on these “sleeping pills,” which can result in a stroke and death. 

If you are prone to high anxiety, oral sedatives can help you have a positive experience in the dentist’s chair. If you live in the Roseville, California area, and would like to discuss your options regarding oral sedation and sedation dentistry, please contact our office. We offer consultations and can help you achieve your ideal smile as comfortably as possible.