Minimal sedation

The ADA describes minimal sedation as relaxed and awake. Your thinking, breathing, and reflexes stay normal. It is the level most often reached with a gas such as nitrous oxide, and it can also be reached with a low dose of a pill. It helps with mild worry. It is a lighter level than moderate sedation, in which you may be sleepy but still awake. Even at the lightest level, a dentist needs to review your health history. The rules for sedation vary by level and by state. This entry explains the term in general. See dental anxiety and oral conscious sedation.