Pharmacological methods and research issues in the management of child patients

A review of the current use of sedative agents by pediatric dentists indicates that agents other than nitrous oxide have rather limited use, in that less than 10% of patients treated by pediatric dentists receive sedative agents. However, a small but significant number of practitioners use sedation with more than 10% of their patients, and 8% of practitioners account for almost half of sedations administered. Practitioners use a variety of agents which probably reflect the training programs that teach the use of a variety of techniques. There appears to be no general agreement on dosage levels or methods for monitoring. There is a need for research to establish dosage levels for drugs and proper methods to monitor patients treated with sedation.