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Antianxiety Medication for Dental Treatment

Mackenzie Whitley

Dental Hygiene, South College

RDH 1310 - Dental Pharmacology

Professor McKinney

November 8, 2022
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Antianxiety Medication for Dental Treatment

Introduction

Dental anxiety and pain can be one of the main causes of medical emergencies in the dental

office. Many patients can be unaware of what triggers their anxiety and are unable to avoid it and

calm themselves down. The first article analyzed is, “Oral Sedation: A Primer on Anxiolysis for

the Adult Patient” (Donaldson et al., 2012). The second article is “Effectiveness of Antianxiety

Drugs on Postoperative Pain Perception After Implant Placement: An In Vivo Study” (Tulsani et

al., 2021). The last article is “The Odyssey of Dental Anxiety: From Prehistory to the Present. A

Narrative Review” (Facco et al., 2017). Medicating the patient can prevent harm not only to

themselves, but also to the clinician.

Summary & Assessment of “Oral Sedation: A Primer on Anxiolysis for the Adult Patient”

Donaldson et al. (2012) discusses the importance of antianxiety medications in dental

treatment, not only to assist the clinicians to do their job successfully but also to allow the patient

to have a pleasant experience. Oral sedation has limitations considering those with higher anxiety;

it may help those who are a little uneasy but may be ineffective in those experiencing a higher

level of anxiety. An abundance of factors needs to be considered when choosing and administering

medication. The medication chosen as well as the dosage varies for everyone; also factors like

medical issues, diseases, allergies, geriatric patients, and children need to be kept in mind when

administering medication to have the desired effects. The article shows that the use of sedatives

has established safety as well as improved efficiency for controlling anxiety during dental

treatment.
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Summary & Assessment of “Effectiveness of Antianxiety Drugs on Postoperative Pain

Perception After Implant Placement: An In Vivo Study”

Tulsani et al. (2021) conducted a study to determine the effectiveness of antianxiety

medication on pain perception preoperational as well as post operational procedures. The purpose

of this experiment is evaluating the effectiveness of antianxiety medications on patients

experiencing dental treatment. There was a total of 140 patients in each of the three groups; one

group received a placebo, one group received 7.5 mg of midazolam, and one group receives 5 mg

of zolpidem. The patients were observed before the drug as well as thirty minutes after. The

research observed patient behavior and found that the medication significantly reduced anxiety

levels. This article provides information not only to assist clinicians who utilize antianxiety

medications but also to benefit the patients who receive it.

Summary & Assessment of “The Odyssey of Dental Anxiety: From Prehistory to the

Present. A Narrative Review”

Facco et al. (2017) takes a psychological approach to explaining anxiety and the benefits

of medication. Anxiety is the body's way of responding to a threat; when your body feels unsafe it

releases feelings and thoughts to try and protect itself. Often patients fear the thought of something

hurting them at the dentist; some patients are not only afraid of this, but they have an actual phobia.

Sharp instruments, loud sounds, machines, or anything unusual can bring anxiety upon patients.

This article suggests that one of the main reasons patients get anxiety at the dentist office is because

they feel helpless; they are unaware of what is going on and nothing is under their control. Anxiety

triggers the body’s fight or flight response which can lead to dangerous effects. Medicating anxious

patients benefit all parties involved. This article gives the reader a look into someone’s mind who
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has anxiety; it explains why the body does this, what the feelings accompanying it are, and many

other aspects. This is helpful for the reader so they can understand their patients and become a

better clinician. This article discusses how different anxiety medications can give different

experiences depending on each individual patient.

Comparisons

All articles support the use of antianxiety medication for patients during dental treatment.

Throughout each article the text explains how the use of sedatives can benefit the patient as well

as the clinician. Each article provides some history as to how the use of sedatives and antianxiety

medication came about for dentistry. Each author discusses the importance of making your patients

feel comfortable and safe while also making the clinician's job much simpler. Knowledge of these

medications is very important; each patient can react differently, so it is particularly important to

know your patient's medical history.

Conclusion

Anxiety prevention is a critical component of patient safety and overall care. Patients who

are anxious at the dentist office may not come as often as those who are comfortable. Not coming

to the dentist can lead to an uncontrollable spread of disease inside the mouth; this will then lead

to disease throughout the entire body. The purpose of antianxiety medication is relieving pain and

worry, and leaving the patients cared for and satisfied. Depending on the patient, medication can

be given prior to or after treatment. As always, prior to recommending medication, educate the

patient on the tasks that will be performed. Making the patient feel in control, as well as informing

them of what is taking place can ease worry. Taking these medications and producing good results
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with dental treatment leads to a compliant patient who will cooperate and come to the dentist often

leading to an overall healthier lifestyle.

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References

Facco, E. & Zanette, G. (2017) The Odyssey of Dental Anxiety: From Prehistory to the Present.

A Narrative Review. Frontiers in Psychology.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01155

Donaldson, M. Gizzarelli, G. Chanpong, B. (2012) Oral Sedation: A Primer on Anxiolysis for the

Adult Patient. National Library of Medicine.

10.2344/0003-3006(2007)54[118:OSAPOA]2.0.CO;2

Tulsani, M. Ganapathy, D. Devi, S. (2021) Effectiveness of Antianxiety Drugs on Postoperative

Pain Perception After Implant Placement: An in Vivo Study. Sage Journals.

https://doi.org/10.1177/2320206820981485