Your dentist wants you to be as comfortable as possible during your visit. To help, he or she has medications that can numb the area being treated and ones that help you relax during treatment. You might be most familiar with local anesthetics. They numb the treatment area and the nearby tissue. Local anesthetics can be topical or injected. Topical agents used by dentists are usually applied as a gel and numb the surface area. These are helpful, for example, in reducing discomfort from the injection. Injectable local anesthetics numb the treatment area more completely than topical gels, and their effect lasts longer. While you or your child are waiting for the effect to wear off, take care not to injure or bite the numbed area. There are ways to help you or your child stay calm during dental treatment. Those that do not involve medication include hypnosis, during which the dentist guides you through relaxation or distraction. For example, your attention is focused elsewhere using music or virtual reality glasses. Your dentist also has medication options that can help you relax. These antianxiety or sedative medications can be given to you before or during treatment to help you feel relaxed and perhaps even slightly drowsy. The medication used and level of sedation will depend in part on your medical history, the dental treatment plan, and dentist training. Nitrous oxide or “laughing gas” is a common medication used for this purpose. If nitrous oxide does not help you relax enough, your dentist may suggest conscious sedation. You will be very relaxed but will still be able to respond to directions from the dentist and breathe on your own. Your dentist and the staff members will watch carefully to ensure that you are able to control your breathing and that your heart rate remains steady. It may take some time after treatment for the effects of these drugs to wear off, and you may need to wait at the dental office before you can leave. Your dentist also may ask that you have someone come with you to or pick you up from your appointment. Sometimes, specially licensed dentists or oral surgeons will administer medications that cause a deep sleep (general anesthesia). This might be necessary for patients who cannot sit still during treatment any other way. It also may be used for long procedures like complicated tooth removals. It requires special training and equipment and is often done in a hospital or specially equipped office. If you are nervous about your treatment, talk to your dentist. Because the anxiety-relieving medications and general anesthesia can affect your breathing and heart rate, be sure to discuss the risks and potential side effects of using those medications. Here are some other considerations you can talk about with your dentist (whether the patient is you or your child):▪medical history that includes all medications, illnesses, and allergies or conditions▪whether the patient should avoid food or water before treatment▪how the patient should feel (relaxed, drowsy but awake, very sleepy, deep sleep)▪what training or special licenses does the provider have▪what kind of first aid procedures are in place in the dental office▪how long should the effect last after treatment. Your dentist has options to help put you at ease during your dental treatment, from numbing the area that will be treated to establishing varying levels of relaxation and sleepiness. Talk to him or her about your concerns and options for making the experience more comfortable.