The most commonly used method for sedation before entering the operation room is using oral medication for children and the most commonly used medicine is midazolam. The purpose of the project was to examine the effect of dexmedetomidine as a prodrug on the mean scores of the Bispectral Index (BIS) in children aged 3-5 candidates of receiving dental treatment under general anesthesia compared to midazolam. In this randomized clinical trial, 75 children aged 3-5 years with ASAI candidates for dental treatment under general anesthesia were selected. Measuring BIS scores was the primary and main evaluation. Examining anxiety index scores during parental separation, sedation, behavior during venipuncture and behavior while waking up in recovery, postoperative analgesic need and changes in hemodynamic parameters were measured as secondary goals. The mean BIS score between the groups studied was significantly different and the dexmedetomidine group had lower values (p<0.05). Dexmedetomidine and midazolam groups were comparable regarding anxiety scores during separation from parents, behavior during venipuncture, and behavior during waking up in recovery (p>0.05), but both groups performed better than the control group (p<0.05). There was a significant difference between the sedation scores between dexmedetomidine and midazolam groups (p=0.006). Moreover, there was a significant difference between the two groups with the control group (p<0.001). Hence, given the results as well as fewer side effects, dexmedetomidine can be introduced as an alternative to midazolam.
