Efficacy and safety of intravenous ketamine for the severely handicapped

The severely and profoundly mentally and physically handicapped dental patient predominates in the institutional setting today. Many patients still require restorative dentistry, periodontal treatment, and an occasional tooth extraction. In terms of enabling treatment to be performed by the institutional dentist, intravenous agent can be effective but can be accompanied by substantial risks in this population. The anesthetic ketamine was evaluated as a sedative agent for dental treatment in this study.