Drug or other interactions

Patients should consult their dentist before taking any additional prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, nutritional supplements or herbal medications.

Certain drugs may interact poorly with sedatives and hypnotics and increase the sedative effect of these medications. In particular, patients are urged to avoid using heartburn and ulcer medications, antidepressants, antihistamines and central nervous system (CNS) depressants such as alcohol or opioid analgesics.

Use of certain antacids may prevent sedatives and hypnotics (e.g., benzodiazepines) from working fully. Smoking also may prevent these drugs from working at an optimal level.

Symptoms of overdose

Symptoms of overdose can be similar to the medication’s side effects, but are usually more severe. Patients exhibiting any of these symptoms during or after a dental procedure should contact their physicians immediately:

• Breathing difficulties
• Confusion
• Continued problems with short-term memory
• Shakiness
• Severe depression
• Severe weakness
• Shortness of breath
• Slow heartbeat (bradycardia)
• Slurred speech
• Staggering

Lifestyle Considerations

Patients who take a sedative or hypnotic the night before a procedure should have someone else drive them to their dental appointment. In addition to avoiding driving, patients who use sedatives or hypnotics should not operate heavy machinery and should avoid tasks that require great thought or extreme concentration.