Dental News - Two sedation drugs for outpatient dental procedures compared for effectiveness

Dental Tribune USA

Thu. 30 January 2014

save

NEW YORK, N.Y., USA: The demand for outpatient dental procedures is increasing and, along with it, the requirement for sedatives that meet the needs of both patient and the dentist. For many outpatient oral surgical procedures, an intravenous sedative and local anesthetic are used, but there are many drug combinations and techniques.

A new drug being evaluated, fospropofol, shows promise as a safe and effective intravenous sedative.

The current issue of the journal Anesthesia Progress reports on a comparison of two drugs — midazolam, a widely used sedation medication, and fospropofol for intravenous moderate sedation. Midazolam relieves anxiety and provides sedation and amnesia; however, it can be slow to take effect, does not always adequately relieve discomfort from the procedure, and may require a longer physical recovery time.

Fospropofol has also been shown to relieve anxiety, to take effect more quickly and to allow patients to recover physically in less time.

Sixty patients scheduled for oral surgery participated in a single-center clinical trial and were randomly selected to receive either midazolam or fospropofol. Both of these intravenous sedation drugs were paired with fentanyl and local anesthesia. Each drug was evaluated for the onset and maintenance of sedation, safety, cardiovascular stability, time to patient recovery, adverse effects, and patient and surgeon satisfaction.

There were no significant differences in sedation maintenance, safety or patient and surgeon satisfaction. The fospropofol group had a shorter mean physical recovery time than the midazolam group, although there was no significant difference in cognitive recovery times.

Among significant adverse effects, more patients receiving midazolam experienced an increased heart rate, whereas more patients receiving fospropofol reported perineal discomfort. The patients receiving fospropofol also had a higher rate of local anesthetic injection recall.

Although fospropofol appears to be a safe alternative to midazolam when administered by anesthesia-trained dentists, such side effects may preclude its completely replacing midazolam.

(Source: Anesthesia Progress)

To post a reply please login or register

Surgical techniques compared for reconstructing the jaw for dental implants

NEW YORK, N.Y., USA: For a successful dental implant, the first step for some patients is reconstructive surgery of the jaw. A bone graft to augment the ...

Vibraject: The multiple-use dental needle accessory for endodontic procedures

The VibraJect multiple-use Dental Needle Accessory is unique in that it can be effectively utilized for endodontic irrigation by merely attaching it to the ...

New grafting procedure for oral implantation

NEW YORK, N.Y., USA: A goal of current oral surgery is not merely to replace a problematic tooth, but also to keep the supporting tissue structure of the ...

Evidence insufficient to recommend antibiotics for joint replacement patients who undergo dental procedures

ROSEMONT, Ill., USA: The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), and the American Dental Association (ADA) found that there is insufficient evidence...

Results for Nite-Guide preventive and interceptive procedure

The largest of several studies on the Nite-Guide technique was done under the auspices of Turku University in Turku, Finland, by Keski-Nisula et al (from ...

Fialkoff Dental Study Club’s drug education program for schoolchildren is recognized

QUEENS, N.Y., USA: Queens Council Member Daniel J. Halloran recently presented a City of New York Proclamation to the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, New ...

Updated COVID-19 procedures from ADA call for hazard assessments

The American Dental Association recently released updated COVID-19 dental office procedures emphasizing need for hazard assessments. These new updated ...

Two recognized for excellence in dental education

BUFFALO, N.Y., USA: Two University at Buffalo innovators in dental medicine were recently honored by national organizations for their contributions to ...

US experts hold dentists accountable for drug abuse

NEW YORK, N.Y., USA: Michael Jackson and actress Farah Fawcett are two of the more prominent victims of painkiller drug abuse. Becoming dependent on opioid ...

Back to school for dental hygiene?

The bachelor’s of science in dental hygiene degree is becoming more difficult to obtain due to the closing of many traditional four-year programs. ...

Education

Live webinar
Thu. 11 September 2025
1:00 PM EST (New York)