Oral midazolam for adults with learning disabilities.

This paper demonstrates how oral midazolam can be employed as an alternative method of behaviour management to general anaesthesia for the dental treatment of people with learning disabilities. A range of treatments, from scaling to root canal therapy, can be carried out successfully using the sedation technique outlined. The advantages of sedation include reduced morbidity and mortality. Treatment outcomes are also likely to be improved as root canal therapy and periodontal care can be carried out over a number of visits rather than a single treatment session under general anaesthesia. Oral sedation with midazolam should improve the scope of dental treatment available to patients with disabilities.