Skip to main content
← Back to Dental Anesthesiology

Dental Anesthesiology Glossary

105 terms total — 24 showing — Last updated 15 Sep 2026

Sedation Continuum

Intermediate Technical IVT

The spectrum of CNS depression ranging from minimal sedation through moderate sedation and deep sedation to general anesthesia, across which a patient may unintentionally advance.

Showing 1–24 of 105

Airway Assessment

Intermediate Technical IVT

A structured pre-anesthetic evaluation of anatomical and physiological features that predict the ease or difficulty of a...

Technical Term Full entry →

airway obstruction

Intermediate Technical IVT

A partial or complete blockage of the upper or lower airway that impedes the passage of air to the lungs during sedation...

Technical Term Full entry →

Aldrete score

Intermediate Technical IVT

A standardised post-anesthesia recovery scoring system that assesses a patient's readiness for discharge from the recove...

Technical Term Full entry →

amide local anesthetic

Advanced Technical IVT

A class of local anesthetic agents metabolised by hepatic enzymes, characterised by an amide bond linking the aromatic r...

Technical Term Full entry →

Anesthesia Consent Form

Intermediate Formal IVT

A document separate from the surgical consent form that records a patient's voluntary agreement to receive anesthesia se...

Document Type Full entry →

anesthesia permit

Intermediate Formal IVT

A state-issued licence or endorsement authorising a licensed dentist to administer a specified level of sedation or gene...

Document Type Full entry →

Anesthesia Time Record

Intermediate Formal IVT

A chronological log documenting the start and stop times of anesthetic care, drug administrations, vital signs, and clin...

Document Type Full entry →

Anticholinergic Syndrome

Advanced Technical IVT

A toxic state caused by excessive blockade of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, characterised by tachycardia, dry mout...

Technical Term Full entry →

antisialagogue

Advanced Technical IVT

A pharmacological agent used before dental procedures to reduce salivary and airway secretions, improving procedural con...

Technical Term Full entry →

anxiolysis

Intermediate Technical IVT

A minimal level of sedation in which the patient is relaxed and cooperative but fully conscious and able to respond norm...

Technical Term Full entry →

apneic oxygenation

Advanced Technical IVT

A technique in which high-flow oxygen is delivered to a passive, non-breathing patient to maintain arterial oxygen satur...

Technical Term Full entry →

articaine

Intermediate Technical IVT

A thiophene-ring-containing amide local anesthetic widely used in dentistry for its enhanced diffusion through soft and...

Technical Term Full entry →

ASA Physical Status Classification

Intermediate Technical IVT

A six-category grading system (ASA I–VI) developed by the American Society of Anesthesiologists to stratify a patient's...

Technical Term Full entry →

BIS

Intermediate Technical IVT

Acronym for Bispectral Index, a processed EEG-based numerical scale measuring sedation depth ranging from 0 (isoelectric...

Abbreviation Full entry →

bispectral index

Intermediate Technical IVT

A processed EEG parameter scaled from 0 to 100 used to monitor the depth of sedation or hypnosis during anesthesia.

Technical Term Full entry →

bite block

Basic Semi-formal

A device placed between a sedated or anesthetised dental patient's teeth to maintain mouth opening and prevent inadverte...

Technical Term Full entry →

bradycardia

Intermediate Technical IVT

A heart rate below 60 beats per minute in adults, which in dental anesthesiology may be induced by opioids, vagal stimul...

Technical Term Full entry →

bupivacaine

Advanced Technical IVT

A long-acting amide local anesthetic used in dentistry primarily for post-procedural pain management owing to its prolon...

Technical Term Full entry →

capnography

Advanced Technical IVT

Continuous monitoring and graphical waveform display of the concentration of carbon dioxide in a patient's exhaled breat...

Technical Term Full entry →

crash cart

Intermediate Semi-formal IVT

A portable emergency supply unit in a dental anesthesia setting stocked with drugs, equipment, and devices required to m...

Technical Term Full entry →

cricothyrotomy

Professional Technical IVT

An emergency surgical airway technique involving incision through the cricothyroid membrane to establish ventilation whe...

Technical Term Full entry →

deep sedation

Advanced Technical IVT

A drug-induced depression of consciousness from which the patient is not easily aroused but responds purposefully to rep...

Technical Term Full entry →

Dental Anesthesiology

Intermediate Technical IVT

The dental specialty focused on the comprehensive and multifaceted management of pain and anxiety in dental, oral, and m...

Technical Term Full entry →

dentist anesthesiologist

Intermediate Formal IVT

A dentist who has completed an accredited postdoctoral residency in dental anesthesiology and is credentialed to adminis...

Technical Term Full entry →
Showing 1–24 of 105

Editors from these organisations have used our services since 1998

Reuters BBC Oxford University Press Penguin Random House Springer Microsoft Suncor Energy United Nations Fisher Investments IBM The Home Depot KODAK CHEVRON