| Summary: | Intravenous administration of benzodiazepines can be used for anxiety management in dentistry. The recent approval of Dexmedetomidine in Canada provides an alternative to benzodiazepines for moderate sedation. There is no review comparing Dexmedetomidine and Midazolam as a sole agent for intravenous moderate sedation. This paper determines to fill the void of knowledge. A total of 6 articles out of 117 were identified in Pubmed and Ovid Medline using the key terms “Dexmedetomidine” and “sedation”. The parameters that were evaluated were the need for rescue, patient and surgeon satisfaction, and adverse outcomes. Dexmedetomidine was found to be equal or better than Midazolam in the first three parameters. Hypotension and bradycardia were evident in moderate to high doses, but none needing intervention. Other side effects include headache and dry mouth. Dexmedetomidine is a reasonable and safe alternative to Midazolam, but more research is needed to evaluate Dexmedetomidine for general dentistry.
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