Anxiety-reducing drugs, such as anxiolytics, can be used to help dental patients relax before a procedure. This type of sedation is called oral sedation dentistry or oral conscious sedation. That’s because the provided medication won’t put you to sleep. Instead, it will simply relax you to the point of being able to undergo your necessary procedure. Oral sedation for root canal procedures is fairly common.
Still, some patients may not be able to take an oral sedative, or their sedative may require too much time to take hold. In this case, your dentist or endodontist may recommend a local anesthetic or IV sedation.