Clinical Sedation Regimens

Abstract

Several agents and their combinations, administered orally, have been studied and used in practice. In reality, little substantial body of evidence derived from organized, randomized, well-controlled scientific studies is available to support any one agent or combination of agents over another for sedating children. Often, dentists use sedative regimens with which they are familiar from their training or what “works well in their hands.” In this chapter, common sedatives and their combinations that have been popularized in professional journals or through sharing of experiences with colleagues are overviewed. A more complete understanding of the success or failure of these agents is dependent on other key factors that will influence, to some degree, these outcomes. Child temperament, parental influence, and the amount of and required technical skills associated with procedures are some of these important factors. They will be discussed in the context of procedural sedation. The review is admittedly incomplete simply because of complexity of the situation and the limited evidence; however, it gives the reader a good perspective of the common challenge in pediatric dental practice.