Conscious sedation makes some treatments possible that would otherwise be impossible for certain patients, without administering general anesthesia. Like general anesthesia, conscious sedation is a procedure for controlling a patient's behavior (e.g. an anxious child) so that the patient can be treated.
Since each conscious sedation method has its own benefits, dentists consider their patients' medical history, the duration of the dental treatment, and their comfort level before recommending a sedation method. That being said, regardless of the conscious sedation method they use, dentists must take special training before they may administer it. Conscious sedation is actually a highly regulated measure by the Ordre des dentistes du Québec. It is also important to know that conscious sedation does not eliminate the necessity of using a local anesthetic.
Only an anesthesiologist (specialist physician) may practice general anesthesia at a hospital or specialized clinic.There are around 350 dentists who practice it in Quebec.