Behaviour Management of Children Presenting in the Emergency Department with OMFS Problems

This paper is a summary of three case reports of patients treated by Oral and Maxillofacial (OMFS) Dental Foundation Trainees (DF2s) at a busy London paediatric Accident and Emergency (A&E) department.

Behavioural management for paediatric patients is challenging. The authors discuss various non-pharmacological behavioural management methods as stand-alone techniques or as an adjunct to drugs (sedation or anaesthesia). They highlight three cases where a dedicated Play-Specialist is employed to assist treatment undertaken in an acute hospital setting. Here we discuss options available to clinicians for behaviour management as well as three case scenarios detailing the use of Play-Specialists alongside conventional pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods.

Through implementing appropriate behavioural management methods (with or without drugs), optimal patient care can be achieved. The benefit of having a specialist solely trained in engaging with children, with respect to their behavioural tendencies, is demonstrated, highlighting their value in an acute setting.