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Some patients are anxious about routine dental treatment; others, who may be able to cope with uncomplicated treatment, are worried by more unpleasant procedures such as minor oral surgery. Despite its excellent safety record there remains disquiet about the provision of conscious sedation for dental care. Management approaches to anxiety vary according to its severity, the age of the patient, the degree of cooperation and the patient's medical history. An increasing number of patients are managed with conscious sedation techniques in combination with local anaesthesia. As patient awareness of the risk of anaesthesia and the availability of sedation have increased, so the popularity of conscious sedation for dentistry has increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]