by Linda Gehring

Created on: February 17, 2009

Q: What does the term "premedication" mean?

The term "premedication" with respect to dentistry in general is simply a term that refers to medicating a patient prior to an office visit for either psychological or medical reasons.

Q: In what instance is a patient "premedicated?"

Patients may be premedicated for a number of different reasons. There are many health conditions which might necessitate a patient be pretreated by antibiotics in order to avoid future infection or in the event of an immune deficiency. There may also be instances where the emotional health and well being of both the patient and the doctor may require it, such as patients who have an anxiety disorder or fear of any invasive health treatments, or simply are Type A personality who have difficulty remaining still during various complicated and lengthy dental procedures.

Q: How will I know if I am a patient that would benefit from premedication?

Usually during your first visit to a dental office there is no schedule treatment unless it is a dental emergency. During the new patient procedures you will be asked to complete a medical history questionnaire disclosing any past or present health conditions. During that time your doctor will review your medical history prior to scheduling any future treatment. It is at this time that you should also inform him of any adverse reactions you may have had to any medications if that information is not contained within the medical history form itself. Speaking with your dentist about this while scheduling the initial appointment and any adverse reactions you have had to any medications or past treatments is the responsibility of the patient and prior to the first visit is the best time to communicate that information.

Q: What are some of the drugs used by dentists to premedicate?

Most patients who require premedicating are patients with a history of fear or anxiety at dental visits so an anti-anxiety or tranquilizer such as Librium or Valium. Those with health conditions there is wide spectrum of antibiotics now available that most dentists use to avoid any unnecessary complications depending upon the situation.

In short, the fact that your dentist may write you a prescription upon the initial visit prior to initiating the treatment plan should not be a cause for alarm. It simply means your dentist is trying to avoid any future complications for you, the patient, and he or she in order to make your visit as painless as possible.

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