Sedation is a controversial issue nationwide and, in order to gain adequate insight on this issue, it is important to review the background of this controversy in the world, and in Colombia of course.The history dates back to the 19th century with the discovery in 1798 of the analgesic properties of nitrous oxide by chemist Humphry Davy who inhaled this agent to determine its effects after experiencing pain in a partially erupted tooth.Later, in 1800, Davy published a treatise on nitrous oxide suggesting that this gas "could probably be used advantageously during surgical procedures". 1 Years later, in 1844, Horace Wells (dentists) went back on those studies and used nitrous oxide for removing one of his own teeth and, after him, William Morton (dentist and father of anaesthesia) administered ether in tooth extraction in 1846, an invention he could never patent during his life time, not to mention that he lost his fortune and died before he was able to see his work recognised.During the 1930s, the barbiturate hexobarbitone was first used intravenously for patient sedation in dental procedures. 1 These are the historical milestones that shaped the beginnings of our specialty.In the 1980s, sedation began to gain momentum again and, in