What's to be done in the case of a young child in need of extensive dental work who is uncooperative and combative in the dental chair? Bad behavior can make treatment difficult, ineffective and lead to accidental injury. When it's not possible to "wait until they grow out of it," there's an answer: sedation dentistry! Now, a new study shows that successful sedation appointments can improve patient behavior and habits over the long term, leading to a reduced or absent need for sedation in the future.

The study, published in Brazilian Oral Research, identified preschool-aged patients with significant dental needs and a history of negative behavior in past appointments. Consent was obtained from the children's parents, and the patients were randomly sorted into a control group and several groups of different levels of sedation. The children were placed in protective stabilization devices to minimize movement, and the needed dentistry was performed for each child.

But how is a dentist to quantify the behavior of a child in a consistent, repeatable way? As it turns out, Ohio State University has developed a Behavior Rating Scale:

1 Quiet behavior, no movement
2 Crying, no struggling
3 Struggling movement without crying
4 Struggling movement with crying

The researchers for the Brazilian study used this scale to assess baseline behavior before treatment, then on subsequent follow-up visits after treatment with sedation.

The researchers found that the children's behavior improved over time, with the sum of the scale scores decreasing on follow-up visits. At the beginning of treatment, the combined score for children in the midazolam group was 13.8. At the end of follow-up, the combined score had dropped to 5.8. While all groups experienced some reduction in behavioral issues, children who underwent sedation treatment experienced a decrease 4.6 points greater than the reduction observed in children who were not sedated.

"Our results demonstrate that children who received moderate sedation during surgical-restorative dental treatment for early childhood caries behaved more positively during follow-up sessions than those patients who did not receive sedation," summarize the researchers.

Sedation balances the need for patient safety with access-to-care, and helps to ensure long-term positive dental habits and good behavior in the dental office. Learn more about pediatric sedation training here!

Source:
Edwards, T. (2016, November 17). Does sedation help kids' long-term dental behavior? Retrieved December 5, 2016, from http://www.drbicuspid.com/index.aspx?Sec=sup&Sub=apm&Pag=dis&ItemId=320681

Disclaimer

The information contained in this, or any case study post in Incisor should never be considered a proper replacement for necessary training and/or education regarding adult oral conscious sedation. Regulations regarding sedation vary by state. This is an educational and informational piece. DOCS Education accepts no liability whatsoever for any damages resulting from any direct or indirect recipient's use of or failure to use any of the information contained herein. DOCS Education would be happy to answer any questions or concerns mailed to us at 106 Lenora Street, Seattle, WA 98121. Please print a copy of this posting and include it with your question or request.

issue_no
0
The information contained in this, or any case study post in Incisor, should never be considered a proper replacement for necessary training and/or education regarding adult oral conscious sedation. Regulations regarding sedation vary by state. This is an educational and informational piece. DOCS Education accepts no liability whatsoever for any damages resulting from any direct or indirect recipient's use of or failure to use any of the information contained herein. DOCS Education would be happy to answer any questions or concerns mailed to us at 3250 Airport Way S, Suite 701 | Seattle, WA 98134. Please print a copy of this posting and include it with your question or request.
DOCS Membership

Upcoming Events
Streaming
May 17- 18, 2024
Atlanta, GA skyline
GA
August 23- 24, 2024
Streaming
October 04- 05, 2024

More Articles