Sedation dentistry is a popular option for making patients more comfortable in a dental practice, and general anesthesia is used during some oral surgical procedures as well. However, when patients are put under, it is very important to make sure they retain normal respiratory functions. EKG and vital sign monitors are designed to track all of a patient’s vital functions at once. Newer models will work with just one sensor to track heart rate, pulse oximetry, body temperature and more. They can be set up to provide an alarm if vital signs indicate the patient may be in trouble, so the monitor does not need to be watched throughout the treatment.