Fear and anxiety is one of the leading causes of patients to shy away from elective dental surgery and postpone or cancel a cosmetic dental surgery which they may have wanted initially or have considered having for a long time. The sound of the drill or sitting in a dental chair are just some of the catalysts for many patients to undergo a high level of anxiety and cause panic and discomfort during a cosmetic dental procedure. There are different ways that a cosmetic dental surgeon can try to manage the anxiety level of the patient. Initially the dentist will try to communicate and put the patient at ease but if this doesn't work, a more radical yet effective way of putting the patient at comfort level may be employed which is mild sedation.

Sedation is a good intervention to consider for patients who may suffer from a high level of fear brought about by anxiety on a visit to the dentist, a candidate who has poor control of their gag reflex during elective surgery, people who have extremely sensitive teeth and patients who may have a high tolerance for local anesthesia. Dental sedation is indicated for patients with fear of needles and find odor, noise and he taste of dental appliances to be overwhelming and anxiety inducing.

Upon undergoing an elective cosmetic dental procedure with sedation, the patient is normally given a pill to take, normally an anti-anxiety drug or analgesic to take an hour before the elective procedure. Someone to drive you home is required prior to your appointment. A feeling of drowsiness is observed and patients are monitored for vital signs. Once the cosmetic procedure is finished the doctor sends the patients home with a few more hours of the sedative in effect so they can ease in and feel relaxed for a few more hours. Most sedatives induce sleep for about six to eight hours which means that complex cosmetic procedures will require you to visit your dentist several times before it completes.