Abstract
Fear of treatment by an oral and maxillofacial (OMF) surgeon or the dentist is a widespread and deep-rooted phenomenon. A patient can be taught to cope with dental phobia by means of psychological, cognitive behavioural therapy, but in cases of invasive oral treatment, such therapy may be insufficiently effective. For these invasive procedures, sedation serves as an alternative treatment option. The department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Radboud University Medical Centre in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, offers the possibility to utilise intravenous sedation with midazolam (Dormicum(R)) and remifentanil (Ultiva(R)). This results in a reduction in the experience of axiety and pain, which can lead to an anterograde amnesia for the invasive treatment. Procedural sedation and analgesia (PSA) for OMF surgery demonstrate a high level of patient satisfaction, and therefore offer a good alternative treatment to local and general anaesthesia.
