During the last few years the number of procedures performed in areas outside of the operating room has increased markedly. Due to this rapid increase the use of monitored sedation in these patients has also increased substantially. Dentists are faced with many patients who have a wide variety of anxieties about dental treatment that often arise from adverse dental or medical experiences of their own or of their family members. These anxieties may relate to needle phobias or to certain sounds or even smells of the dental office. The oral cavity is a highly innervated structure, and has often...