Revisiting Benzodiazepine Use for Dental Procedures in Nursing Home Residents

Benzodiazepines (BDZ) are included in the Beer’s list as a potentially inappropriate drug class for older adults due to risk of confusion, falls, cognitive decline and dependance. Nonetheless, it is common dental practice to prescribe this class of medications prior to dental procedures to reduce periprocedural anxiety. We present a case of a nursing home resident who received a pre-procedure dose of BDZ and developed sudden change in mental status post procedure.